Dancing Against the Seven Destinies
by cmsully
Summary: They had met through a dance... and now she holds the key to alter the destinies of the six most affected by Jenova. Full summary inside, based off of my one-shot "The Dance".
1. Plot Summary Teaser

"Legend shall speak  
>Of sacrifice at world's end" – LOVELESS Act IV.<p>

The Gods and Goddesses have the ability to foresee the future of the worlds they protect.

They are allowed one chance to fix the future before it becomes a reality. And they are allowed to use any means necessary.

However, they cannot predict what would happen when the worlds they guard meet…

Minerva had seen the chaos on Gaia caused by Jenova and her puppet Sephiroth, and longed to do something about it. During a Meeting of the Worlds, she sees her chance in the form of a young woman that Sephiroth himself was drawn to. A woman who, though physically unfit for combat, wields a great inner strength that would be perfect for her needs…

Katlyn had been attending a relative's wedding, feeling miserable since her boyfriend had ditched her yet again. However, when she was asked to dance by a stranger her heart somehow knew, her fate had been put in the hands of someone she'd never expect…

Sephiroth had seen visions of a brown-haired woman with a beautiful voice, yet every he tried to get close, she'd somehow slip away. Yet when he saw this woman at a ball he was forced to attend, he sure as hell wasn't about to let her get away this time…

When the stranger's identity was revealed to Katlyn, she knew that fate was indeed a fickle thing, for how could she ever be with a man who wasn't supposed to exist? When she tries to talk about it, however, her jealous boyfriend pushed her into a coma that she would never wake… or so her world thought.

In reality, she was pulled into a meeting with a Goddess, who offered her a choice: Continue living in her world in peace, or become the savior that another world needs, at the cost of her own. She chose to become Minerva's champion, the Gift of the Goddess.

Granted with the gifts she would need, she is sent to Gaia to carry out the Goddess' will. Her mission: to change the fate of the six lives who had been affected the most by the Calamity.

However, there was a catch: If she failed to prevent Jenova from wrecking disaster, then the WEAPONs would fulfill their purpose, and not even the heroes who had defeated them before would be able save the planet.

Seven fates and countless lives hang in the balance… Can Katlyn somehow manage to pull off a miracle? Or will she fail, and cause the destruction of very planet she had come to save?

And the most important question: Will she ever be able to live a life with the man she loves?

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><p>*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine.<p> 


	2. Prologue

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine. I also don't own "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback, I just think that it's a great song that fits with the story.

* * *

><p>"I will never be a memory…"<p>

Minerva watched with her foresight as Jenova's Puppet uttered those final words to the young man who had saved Gaia for the second time. She sighed, for she knew that unless something was done now, before the events that led up to that moment took place, the unintended traveler and her puppet would continue coming back to wreck havoc on the world she was supposed to protect. And next time, young Cloud may not be able to stop them.

"What can I do?" she murmured to herself. She had thought through every possibility, but every time she saw a solution, the future only turned out worse, for the WEAPONs would've fulfilled their purpose instead of them being defeated. Suddenly, her mind came up with an idea.

"I think I'll go talk to Brother… he might be able to help with my predicament!" she exclaimed. As she headed in the direction where her eldest brother resided, little did she know that the seeds to a solution were being sown, one that would solve ALL her problems.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth walked towards his office in a grumpy mood. It had been his monthly check-up, and of course Hojo had been a creepy bastard yet again.<p>

"Professor Ass-hole… hmph, I guess I should be lucky he didn't inject me with anything unusual again this time," he muttered as he turned a corner into the hallway that held his office, Shinra employees scattering as they sensed the dark aura hanging over his head. Shuddering at some very unpleasant memories of those times (who knew that there were so many cat lovers in Shinra?), he moved on autopilot towards his door.

Suddenly, he heard someone singing. And it came from INSIDE his office.

His eyes narrowed at the sound of the foolish person who was about to face the business end of Masamune. No one breaks into his office and gets away with it! He reached over and grabbed the handle. Turning it slowly, he silently opened the door… and saw a room that was DEFINITELY not his office.

Jaw dropping open, he looked around at what used to be his office. It looked like some kind of living room, with comfortable-looking couches and a large TV taking up one wall. White carpeting covered the floor, and a large fireplace was in the corner. However, as he looked closer, he noticed something odd- the Shinra logo, which could be found on almost anything electronic, wasn't anywhere to be found.

"That's strange… with the size of that TV, the Shinra logo should've been prominent," he thought to himself.

"_'Cuz nobody wants to be the last one there…_," belted out the voice that he had heard earlier. Turning his head sharply, his eyes widened at the sight of a young woman facing away from him, dancing and singing along to what he assumed was the music playing in a set of headphones that were placed over her ears. Taking in her long (yet not as long as his) lightish brown hair, her slightly overweight frame clothed in a paint-stained white T-shirt and a pair of loose-gray sweatpants, and her middling height, she was DEFINITELY not someone he knew.

"_Someone to love, and put my life in their hands/ There's gotta be somebody for me like that_," she continued to sing, using a strange-looking duster to dust off some shelves.

Sephiroth was fascinated by her voice. Sure, he had been exposed to great singers before… but this girl put them all to shame, for she obviously put her heart into her singing. He decided to approach her.

As he took a step into the room, suddenly she stiffened, as if sensing his presence. She started to turn towards him.

Suddenly, his vision blurred. Blinking to clear it, he gaped in shock as he saw the familiar contours of his office.

"What the… maybe Hojo _did_ slip something into my normal treatments," he thought to himself, dismissing the strange woman as an illusion. He ignored the pang of disappointment in his gut at not being able to see her face before she disappeared.

* * *

><p>Katlyn sang along to one of her favorite songs as she cleaned the living room. She was grateful that her boyfriend had gotten her an mp3 player for their last anniversary, even though he had left shortly afterwards. She knew where he went, and the music helped take her mind off of the unpleasant situation. She was constantly bombarded with demands from her family about leaving him… but for one reason or another, she continued to stay by his side as he went back into the arms of another woman.<p>

"I love him," was her constant answer when asked why she stayed. However… lately even she wasn't fooled by that excuse. More and more, she contemplated packing her bags and leaving the apartment that the two of them shared… yet she never did it.

"Maybe he'll stay tonight," she thought to herself as she dusted off the shelves that contained her guilty pleasure- video games. On the left-hand side (what she considered was where you store your favorite items) was her Final Fantasy VII collection, including the original Playstation One game. Dusting it off lovingly, she continued to sing along to one of her favorite songs. Nickelback was one of the greatest groups of all time in her not-so-humble opinion.

Suddenly, she sensed the presence of another person. Stiffening with surprise, she turned towards the intruder and saw a flash of silver hair… but nothing else.

"Huh, that's weird… maybe this apartment's haunted," she muttered. However, she was slightly surprised at the feeling of disappointment that rang through her body at not being able to see who it was.

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><p>AN: I can has reviews? Seriously, tell me what you think, and don't be afraid to ask questions!


	3. Chapter 1

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine.

Response to reviews!

SugarHoney91: I'm very glad to hear that!

ShinobiTwin05: OH GOD! NOT THE ZACK PUPPY POUT! Here's a longer chapter! Now STOP TORTURING ME!

* * *

><p>"Um… why am I here again, Gail?" asked Katlyn as she was 'escorted' into the dance studio.<p>

"Because you're the only person I know who has had dance training that I can trust to tell me when I look horrible," replied her cousin as she dragged Katlyn into one of the two chairs that had been set up.

"Gail, the only dance training I have was back when I was, like, nine. Plus, it was ballet dancing, not ballroom dancing!"

"So? It's still dancing!"

"Gaaah! I give up!" remarked Katlyn with exasperation.

Gail grinned as she sat down in the other chair. She was the only person who could make Katlyn see things her way (which wasn't always a bad thing). In fact, the two cousins (who looked almost identical except that Gail wore glasses and had shoulder-length curly hair) were closer to each other than they were to their respective siblings. While Gail's situation was reasonable (she was the only girl in a house full of boys), Katlyn's on the other hand was a bit more complicated. Her only sibling was her older sister, who didn't care for the fact that she wasn't going to be an only child anymore. When their parents were around, Katlyn and her sister were the picture of sibling support. Behind closed doors, however, was another story. Luckily, it had never escalated to physical abuse, but the emotional abuse was enough to leave Katlyn scarred. In fact, Gail had a suspicion that her sister's torturing was the real reason behind Katlyn's stubborn refusal to leave her cheating boyfriend behind.

"So… when is your instructor going to get here?" asked Katlyn, interrupting her cousin's reverie.

"Hmm…," Gail replied, looking at her watch, "In about a half-hour."

"A HALF-HOUR? You drug me here a whole bloody half-hour before your instructor arrives?"

"Well, of course! After all, with all of my preparations for the wedding, we haven't had time to just sit down and talk!"

Katlyn blinked in astonishment. "You did all this so that we could just talk?"

"Uh-huh! What kind of a god-sister would I be if I didn't take time just to sit down and chat with you!" answered Gail, purposefully using the term that they had come up with when they were kids that described their relationship to make up for the lack of time she had spent with her cousin. Preparing a wedding had proved tougher than planned, especially since she refused to let Katlyn help out (her excuse: Katlyn deserved to have the honor that she held without any of the work)

Katlyn gave her a small but true smile when she heard the term. "So, then, god-sister, what did you want to talk about?"

"Just let me know what's been happening with you! And don't skimp on the juicy details, unless they concern your dead-beat boyfriend, 'cuz then I don't wanna know."

Katlyn ignored the boyfriend remark with practiced ease. She clasped her hands together as her brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Well… for the past couple of weeks now, I've been having reoccurring dreams, and I'm not quite sure what to make of them," she stated slowly.

"Really?" Gail inquired. This was new. Normally, Katlyn didn't dream at all. "Why don't you tell me, and I'll offer my view on them!"

Katlyn gave her cousin a sideways glance. "Are you sure?" she asked, "You'll think I'm weird…"

"Katlyn, that's old news. You should know by now that the truly weird people are the ones who insist they're normal."

Katlyn laughed. That response was _so_ Gail.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you," she said, slowly stopping her laughter. She took a deep breath, gathering her nerve. "Well… the dreams are all different, except for one constant: A man with silver hair longer than mine and beautiful green eyes. In some dreams, I'm chasing him, in others he's chasing me. Yet in others, we're together, neither one of us chasing the other. Those ones are the happiest dreams."

"How romantic!" gasped Gail. This was the stuff of dime-store romantic novels. "Do you know this man?"

At this, Katlyn frowned. "That's the thing: I know I've never met him, yet my heart keeps telling me that I _do_ know this man, quite well in fact. As if, once his name is revealed to me, I'll understand _why_ we were ever separated at all."

"Katlyn… it sounds like this guy is your soul mate! You need to find him!"

"But how?" asked Katlyn, leaning back into her chair. "I don't even know his name, and most of his features except for his hair and eyes fade as soon as I wake up."

"Hmm… well, when did these dreams start?" asked Gail. "Maybe if we can find out how you started to dream the dreams, then we have the clue we need to find the hottie!"

"Wait, how do you know if he's hot or not?"

Gail gave her cousin a flat look. "Long silver hair PLUS beautiful green eyes? That sounds like the typical anime hottie, who as you know are generally hotter than real life hotties. Thus, he's gotta be gorgeous."

Katlyn snorted with amusement. "Only you would make that assumption."

"Uh, I think that there are thousands of people on deviantART alone who would agree with me," answered Gail, grinning.

"True… plus, I can't deny that the combination is hot. After all, just take a look at Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7. Even though he turns into a psychopath, you have to admit he's a cutie," conceded Katlyn.

Gail laughed, "See? I'm right again!" Turning serious, she added, "So, tell me when the Hottie Dreams started."

Katlyn thought for a moment. "Well, I guess they started back a couple of weeks ago. The day they started, I had been cleaning the apartment when I felt a strange presence behind me. When I looked to see who it was, however, I only managed to catch a glimpse of silver hair, which quickly disappeared. At the time, I just attributed it to a ghost," she answered truthfully.

Gail's mouth dropped open. "Katlyn… I don't know what to say," she admitted. "It almost sounds like you and Dreamy McHottietons are separated by two different worlds or something like that."

Katlyn sighed, "Figures. I get to meet my dream guy, but he only exists in my dreams."

As Katlyn started to look slightly depressed, Gail decided to reveal her surprise a little early. "Katlyn, there was another reason I brought you here early," she admitted. As Katlyn looked over at her, she elaborated, "You know the suggestion you made about my wedding music?"

"Yeah… what about it?" asked Katlyn suspiciously.

"Well, I talked it over with Doug, and he liked the idea. So, the musical theme for the Lune-Giggy wedding will be love songs from around the world!"

Katlyn gasped with surprise, "Are you serious?" At Gail's nod of assent, she excitedly continued, "_Please_ tell me that one of the songs is Gackt's 'Love Letter'!"

"Of course! After you played that song for me, I knew I just had to have it in the wedding! In fact, it was that song that convinced Doug to go along with the idea," replied Gail, grinning at Katlyn's excitement.

At that moment, Gail's dance instructor walked (more like erupted) into the room. "Good news, Future Mrs. Gail Giggy!" he excitedly exclaimed.

Gail cocked her head. "You're here early, Antonio," she remarked as Katlyn sniggered at the title he gave her. Ignoring her cousin, she continued, "What's the good news?"

"I just heard from my sister instructor that Doug is progressing well with his dancing, so pretty soon we'll be able to have you two dance together!" he answered, clapping his hands together.

"That's great!" Gail remarked, her face lighting up at the image of her and her fiancée dancing together despite both of them having two left feet. At that moment, Antonio noticed the new addition to the room.

"Well, butter my buns and call 'em biscuits! Who is this lovely lady?" he inquired.

"This is my maid of honor, Katlyn Lune. Katlyn, this is my dance instructor Antonio Bailos," Gail replied as he grabbed one of Katlyn's hands and gave the back of it a formal kiss. "Katlyn's going to be watching today to see how things are going on my end. She's had dance experience, and she isn't afraid to face the wrath of Bridezilla."

"_Aaand_ Gail is exaggerating on many accounts," remarked Katlyn. "She's definitely not Bridezilla, and I'm sure that you've been doing a great job of teaching her. Besides, I haven't danced in years."

"Honey, with the way you look it's a good thing. You'd be putting all of the female dancers out of work, and all of the straight males would be chasing you like kids chase the ice-cream truck on a hot day," Antonio replied, looking her up and down.

"Well, it's too bad I'm taken," replied Katlyn, feeling a little flustered by the compliment.

"Then he must feel like the luckiest man in the world!"

"Uh… yeah, I guess he does," Katlyn lied weakly.

Antonio looked suspicious, but Gail shook her head slightly. He understood the hint, and didn't pursue it further. "Well, anyway, did you bring the song you're going to be dancing to?" he asked the bride.

Gail held up a CD that she dug up from her purse. "Right here!"

"And why haven't you placed it in the player already?" he chastised.

Gail smiled sheepishly as she answered, "Because I was busy talking to Katlyn."

"Sugar, didn't your mama teach you to multitask? Now, hurry up and place it in the player! If we want you and your honey-bunny dancing together anytime soon, we need all the time we can get!"

Gail did as she was instructed, then got into position with Antonio. As the opening notes started to play, Katlyn's brow lifted in surprise as she remarked, "You're dancing to 'My Heart Will Go On'?"

"Yes, now hush. I need to concentrate," Gail replied good-naturedly. Katlyn nodded, then sat back in her chair and started to watch her cousin dance.

* * *

><p>"<em>Infinite in mystery is the Gift of the Goddess…<em>," quoted Genesis, reading from his cherished copy of LOVELESS. Sephiroth only half-listened, his mind on other matters. The three Firsts were lounging about in the training room, set to simulate the city of Junon like usual. Suddenly, he sensed his two friends had gone silent. Looking over at them, he noticed that they were looking at him expectantly.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he apologized.

"That's not like you, Sephiroth. You mind telling us what's going on?" asked Angeal as he leaned against a wall.

Sephiroth debated with himself for a moment, then came to a decision. "Do you two ever have visions when you're sleeping?" he asked.

At this, both Angeal and Genesis straightened. "You mean like a dream?" asked Genesis, his curiosity peaked.

"Is that what dreams are?" mused Sephiroth aloud.

"Most dreams are dreamt at night, yes," answered Angeal. "Why, have you been having some?"

"Yes. I've been having them for the past couple of weeks now, and they're…" Sephiroth trailed off and stared into the distance, unable to describe his feelings about them.

Angeal and Genesis looked at each other, then looked back at their friend.

"Why don't you tell us about them?" suggested Genesis gently, closing LOVELESS and placing it in an inner pocket. "Maybe we can help you out with them."

Sephiroth looked at them, but saw only support in their gazes. Deciding to trust them, he started, "It all began several weeks ago, when I had a vision that I thought was induced by something that Hojo injected me with during my monthly exam."

"What was the vision?" asked Angeal.

"I had been heading towards my office when I heard someone singing inside it," he answered.

"What? Was this person suicidal?" exclaimed Genesis, remembering the first and only time that he had barged into Sephiroth's office without permission. It had been to meet Sephiroth for the first time, and he only managed to escape unscathed through sheer dumb luck.

"No and I'll explain why," answered Sephiroth. "I'll admit, I had every intention of punishing the foolish person, yet when I opened my office door… it didn't open to my office. Instead, it looked like someone's living room. The only thing that was out of place was that the Shinra logo was nowhere to be found, even though it had a decent sized television. As I was looking around, suddenly I heard the voice again. I turned to see that it was a slightly-heavyset brunette female singing, and she wasn't aware of my presence at first, for she had a set of headphones on that I assumed was playing the music that she obviously was singing along to. It was only when I took a step into the room that she sensed my presence. Before I could catch a glimpse of her face, however, the vision faded, and I was left staring at my office again." He paused to look at his friends, then continued at Angeal's nod of support. "Later that night was the first time that I… dreamed about her. Each successive night, now, she shows up in my dreams. Some dreams, it's obvious that I'm pursuing her. Others, she's pursuing me. And yet others… we're not pursuing each other, but instead spending time together, similar to what we're doing now. Yet, two things are constant in these dreams: she's always singing, and her face fades away as soon as I wake up."

"Wow…" breathed Genesis. This was almost as riveting as LOVELESS, and it was all true, if the confusion on Sephiroth's face was anything to go by.

"Wow is right. Sephiroth, besides the vision and the dreams, have you met this girl before?" asked Angeal.

Sephiroth shook his head. Before he could elaborate, however, suddenly they heard a voice start to sing.

"_Every night in my dreams/ I see you, I feel you,_" sang the voice.

"What the… did someone sneak in here?" asked Angeal, looking around the training room, Genesis doing the same. Sephiroth, however, had his gaze locked onto the end of the cannon.

"It's her… the girl from the dreams," he breathed. The two childhood friends looked at the General.

"Really? Where?" inquired Genesis.

"She's sitting right over there!" Sephiroth exclaimed, acting very much out of character as he pointed towards where he had been looking. As he looked over at his friends' faces, however, he asked, "Can't you see her?"

"No… but we can definitely hear her," confirmed Genesis. "Gaia, what a voice!"

"Indeed. Upon my honor, I haven't heard a voice like that in… well, ever," added Angeal.

"Hey, Sephiroth, what is she doing?" asked Genesis, looking over at his silver-haired friend.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Sephiroth, narrowing his eyes as he felt a strange emotion start to rise in his chest.

"Well, if you can see here where we can't, then that means that you obviously have a connection to her. Maybe we can use it somehow," explained Genesis.

"He has a point, Sephiroth," remarked Angeal. "If you can manage to talk to her, then we can find out who she is so that we can meet her in real life."

Sephiroth kept his eyes narrowed, but nodded his agreement as he turned back to where he could still see her singing. "She's sitting on a chair, looking off into the distance… I can only see her profile, not her whole face. I think she's watching something or someone, for every now and again I can see her smile a small smile and nod." His eyes widened as he heard her stop singing, and saw that she was getting ready to stand up. Instinctively, he knew that once she stood, she would be gone again. He lunged toward her as he shouted, "No, please! Don't go!" He watched helplessly as she started to turn towards his voice… and disappear, just like before.

"She disappeared?" asked Angeal, noticing Sephiroth's disappointment. As Sephiroth nodded in agreement, Angeal said sympathetically, "Don't be too sad. I'm sure she'll reappear again."

"He's right, Sephiroth. You'll see her again," said Genesis suddenly. As the others turned toward him, he elaborated, "I'm sure she's connected to the Goddess somehow." At Sephiroth's confused look, he asked, "Didn't you two feel it as she was singing? It was almost like she's a major point in our destinies… as if she knows what's going to happen, and knows what to do to make everything better."

"You're right… as I heard her sing, I felt… hope," remarked Angeal. "Hope that she has the key to make the world's destiny brighter."

"Hope? Is that the feeling I feel? No…" mused Sephiroth softly, unaware that his two friends could hear every word he said. "I feel like… what I'm feeling is more than hope, more than anything I've ever felt before."

Angeal and Genesis shared a shocked look. Was Sephiroth, who was infamous for never showing attraction to anybody, starting to fall for the mystery girl?

* * *

><p>"Huh?" asked Katlyn, looking over at a corner of the studio.<p>

"Katlyn? Is something the matter?" asked her cousin, stopping the dance.

"Did… either of you guys hear something?" she asked, looking over at the two of them. As they shook their heads no, she turned back towards the corner where she could've sworn she saw the same silver hair as before.

"Why? Did you hear or see something?" pressed Gail. Antonio looked between the two of them with curiosity.

"I… could've sworn I heard someone shout 'Please! Don't go!'" answered Katlyn, still staring at the corner.

"Well… there is another dance studio next door. Maybe you heard someone calling out to someone else that was about to walk out. It happens quite a lot, actually," suggested Antonio.

"Maybe…" Katlyn mused, before shaking her head. "Anyway, I'm glad that you guys stopped. Antonio, where's the bathroom?" she asked, revealing the reason she had stood up.

As Antonio gave her directions to the bathroom, she thought about the voice that she had heard. It had sounded so desperate… and in the deepest regions of her heart, she knew had been directed at her.

* * *

><p>"I'd like to speak to my Brother, if it's at all possible," requested Minerva, standing at the border between her realm and her brother's. The assistant that she had spoken the request to closed its eyes for a brief moment as it relayed her request. Her own assistant, Leviathan, was watching over Gaia as she set out to solve her problem of Jenova.<p>

"He's waiting for you. Welcome to the First Realm," spoke the assistant, standing aside to let Minerva pass.

As Minerva stepped into her brother's domain, she felt a sense of peace settle over her. She smiled, for that meant that her brother was willing to help in any way he could. And _that_ was worth the risk of coming here and igniting a Meeting of the Worlds.

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><p>AN: Reviews shall be used to contribute to the insanity of the author!


	4. Chapter 2

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, although Katlyn is mine. I also don't own Dreams to Dream by Cathy Cavadini.

Response to reviews!

SugarHoney91: YES! I succeeded in my goal! Oh, and who SAYS this kinda stuff can't happen in real life? Just because it hasn't happened YET. . .

ShinobiTwin05: Four words: Holy Freakin' Spaz Dance! Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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><p>Sephiroth was sitting at his desk, filling out some paperwork as per usual. 'Approval for ground troop movement in Wutai'… signed. 'Agreement on new SOLDIER training facilities'… hmm, sounds like a good idea… signed. 'Demand from Hojo—'… won't bother to read, trash. 'Request from Silver Elite—'… hey, how'd that get in there? That was supposed to have been blocked… trash.<p>

"Sephiroth? You in here?" came Angeal's voice.

"Door's open," answered Sephiroth, not bothering to look up as Angeal opened the door and walked inside, clutching a sealed white envelope.

Nodding in greeting, Angeal stated with no preamble, "I have some news from Lazard."

At this, Sephiroth looked up. "What news?"

"You know that Shinra ball at the end of the month?"

Sephiroth snorted, "What, you mean the one where attendance for us is optional for once? I'm not going, so what about it?"

Angeal sighed, "It's not optional anymore."

"You're kidding me." As Angeal shook his head, Sephiroth sighed, pinching his nose. "What is it with them forcing us to attend stuff we don't want to go to? All people ever want to do is gawk at us like we're some exotic animals at the zoo!"

"According to the President, it's 'Great publicity for the company' that you, Genesis and I attend public events like that," answered Angeal, using air quotes flawlessly while still managing to hold on to the envelope. Sephiroth snorted with laughter when he saw them.

"You know, your Puppy's rubbing off on you," he remarked, grinning.

Angeal rolled his eyes, but as always let the comment about Zack slide. "On the bright side, however, they're not playing classical music at this ball."

"Oh, really?" commented Sephiroth, cocking a flawless eyebrow. "What are they doing for music?"

"You know the Battle of the Bands they had last year? Well, apparently the grand prize was a chance for the winning band to play at an official Shinra social event of their choosing."

"And they chose this event? They've got some nerve," said the General admiringly. Shinra balls were notoriously exclusive, and generally only featured the official Shinra Orchestra as the performers (which was nice in the beginning… but now only made people want to take a nap).

Angeal snorted, "Apparently Rufus became a fan, and he pushed the President to allow them to play at this particular ball."

"Figures. Daddy always gives his precious heir what he wants," remarked Sephiroth scornfully, his eyes narrowing at the thought of the spoiled brat who thought his ideas were SO much better for the company.

Angeal snickered, "Yeah, well at least this time we benefit from it. Genesis is already excited about hearing this band perform."

Sephiroth cocked his head in inquiry. "Why is that?"

"They've called themselves The Gift, and they perform everything: top 40 hits, Wutai-language songs, show tunes, you name it."

"And let me guess- they play songs from the stage production of LOVELESS," finished Sephiroth, rolling his eyes and smiling at the obsession of his other friend.

Angeal grinned back. "Got it in one. Of course, it doesn't help that they've left the meaning of their name open to interpretation."

Sephiroth chuckled, for he caught Angeal's meaning- Genesis had translated the title to mean that the band had named themselves after the infamous Gift of the Goddess.

Suddenly, Angeal turned serious as he got to the true reason why he came. "So, any progress with finding that mystery dream girl of yours?" he asked.

Sephiroth seemed to, well, _deflate_ at the question. "No. Whenever I had a spare moment, I looked through hundreds of pictures of female brunette singers, including unknown singers, and NONE of their profiles match the profile of the girl I saw in the training room. What's more, I've downloaded at least one song from every single one of those singers, and none of their voices match. I've used every resource available to me, and she's eluded me at every turn except for the dreams that _still_ happen every night!" he said morosely, looking up at the ceiling.

Although Angeal's face showed none of this, inwardly he frowned. Genesis was right: Sephiroth was starting to become obsessive about this girl. In fact, it had been Genesis' idea for Angeal to do this, since Sephiroth seemed to hold Angeal in higher regard. Angeal would've forced Genesis to accompany him, however Lazard had sent him on a mission that would keep Genesis on the field until the day before the ball.

"Sephiroth…" Angeal began, unsure of how to say this next part. As Sephiroth looked back at him with expectation, however, he decided to just say it bluntly. "Maybe you should stop searching for her until after the ball."

"What?"

Angeal fought down the instinctive fear that appeared as soon as he saw the narrow-eyed look his friend was giving him, for he knew that it was due to suspicion, not anger. He raised his hands as he said calmly, "Hear me out." When the eyes widened back to normalcy, he mentally breathed a sigh of relief as he started his explanation, "Do you remember what Genesis had said after we heard her in the training room, how she must've been connected to the Goddess?" As the silverette nodded, he continued, "Well, I've been thinking… maybe he's more right than we thought."

"What do you mean? I thought you agreed with him."

"I do agree with him, but I didn't realize HOW connected she was until recently. After all, look at the facts: first, you dream about her every night, yet you never seem to remember her facial features. Second, while Genesis and I have only heard (yet never saw) her once, she has appeared to you at least twice outside of the dreams. Both times, she faded before you could see her face. If that's not directly caused by the Goddess, then I don't know what is."

"What's your point, Angeal?" demanded Sephiroth.

"Maybe… you aren't supposed to seek her out until the time is right for you two to connect," Angeal finished.

Sephiroth gave his friend a _look_. "And how am I supposed to know WHEN the time is right?"

Angeal shrugged, "I don't know. When her face is finally revealed to you, maybe?"

Sephiroth sighed as he pondered over the wisdom of his friend's words. "Maybe you're right," he conceded.

Angeal breathed a mental sigh of relief. "So, you'll save your energy until after the ball?"

"Fine," Sephiroth huffed. "Now go train your Puppy."

Angeal laughed, then handed Sephiroth the envelope. "Here's the information on the ball- Lazard mentioned that you in particular should read the section about the dress code."

As Angeal waved goodbye and left, Sephiroth opened the envelope and read the requested section. "What? I can't wear my uniform to this stupid thing?" he stated disbelievingly.

He jolted with surprise as suddenly a female voice roared, "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"

* * *

><p>"That fucking ass-hole!" fumed Katlyn as she slammed her cell-phone shut and threw it on top of her jacket, which was sitting on a chair, her purse sitting on the floor next to it.<p>

"What is it?" asked Gail, coming into the dressing room where Katlyn was trying on her dress for the final fitting, said dress in hand.

Katlyn stood there and looked at her cousin in the mirror as she growled, "Tom's not coming to your wedding."

"What? I thought that he had promised to accompany you!"

"Yeah, well I just got done talking to him. Turns out, his boss needs him to go to a 'conference' with her in L.A. during the last week of this month, and there's 'no way' he can get out of it," informed Katlyn. "You know, I wouldn't be as pissed as I am right now if his boss was a normal person. But _noooo,_ it just HAD to be his ex who, even though they broke up, _still_ has sex with him!"

"What a dick," Gail said empathetically.

"You know what? If I ever meet that silver-haired guy from my dreams in real life, I'm dumping Tom's ass out on the curb!" Katlyn finished.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth's eyes widened when he heard this. Was the angry voice the girl he had been dreaming about? And had she been dreaming about him? He quickly got up and closed his office door, locking it before going to sit back down in his chair. There was <em>no<em> way he was missing this phantom conversation.

* * *

><p>"Why don't you dump Tom now?" asked Gail.<p>

Katlyn sighed, "I… I'm not sure." Shaking her head, she continued, "Either way, his shit's still in our apartment, so at the very least I'd have to wait until he got back from his fuckfest before I can dump his ass."

Gail laughed as she said, "Well, at least you're finally starting to see what we've been telling you for _years_!"

Katlyn laughed along as she playfully shoved her cousin out of the room. "Oh, shut up! Now go wait outside while I put on my dress. Oh, and don't be disturbed if you hear music!"

"And since when have I ever been disturbed? You're a MUCH better singer than I am! Shoot, you could even go on American Idol and win it if you really wanted to!"

"Oh, you!" Katlyn said as she shut the door in her cousin's face. She hung up the dress on a hook, then knelt and dug through her purse. "Aha!" she muttered in triumph as she pulled out her mp3 player and portable speakers. Shoving her jacket and cell-phone on the floor (a little violently- but then she deserved to be a little violent right now), she quickly set it up, then set it to shuffle. She smiled as one of her childhood favorites came on. With a soft, soothing melody to help calm her down, and lyrics that oddly fit with her reoccurring dreams, it was DEFINITELY the perfect song to play right now.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth closed his eyes and spun in his chair away from the window as the soothing melody started to fill the room. He didn't want ANYTHING to shatter this, not even the sight of Midgar.<p>

Ten seconds later, the voice that had haunted his dreams sang, "_Dreams to dream, in the dark of the night/ When the world goes wrong, I can still make it right/ I can see so far in my dreams/ I'll follow my dreams until they come true._"

Sephiroth smiled. That proved it- the angry voice HAD been the girl from the dreams. He smiled wider at the thought that she had possibly (no, probably) been dreaming about him as well.

"_Come with me, you will see what I mean/ There's a world inside no one else ever sees/ You will go so far in my dreams/ Somewhere in my dreams, your dreams will come true._"

This song was… oddly perfect with their situation. Right in that moment, Sephiroth realized that this song had quickly made it to the top of his favorite songs. Suddenly, the music started to swell.

"_There is a star waiting to guide us/ Shining inside us, when we close our eyes/ Don't let go, if you stay close to me/ In my dreams tonight, you will see what I see/ Dreams to dream, as near as can be/ Inside you and me, they always come… true._"

As the music died down, Sephiroth could only utter one word. "Beautiful."

* * *

><p>Katlyn jolted with surprise as she finished zipping up her dress. <em>That<em> hadn't been a part of the song. In fact, it sounded like it had come from the mirror… she paused her music, then spun to see that the mirror's surface didn't reflect her and her dress. Instead, it looked like the inside of someone's office. And that someone was still sitting in it with their back towards her. Her eyes widened at she saw the hair. It couldn't be… was it the guy from her dreams?

"Well, this is new," she remarked.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth's eyes shot open. That sounded like it came from the window! He started to spin towards it, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.<p>

* * *

><p>Katlyn's eyes widened as the vision in the mirror started to fade when the figure in the chair started to move.<p>

"No," she breathed. Then, it turned into pleading as the vision faded rapidly. "No, no, no, NOO!" As the vision faded completely, she swore, "DAMNIT!" However, she was heartened by one thing: just before the vision had faded, she had caught a glimpse of green eyes. It _had_ to have been the guy from her dreams!

"Katlyn?" came her cousin's voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" she replied back, opening the door.

"Wow, Katlyn, you look so pretty!" Gail exclaimed. She looked at the expression on her cousin's face, then asked, "What's wrong?"

"Gail, you will NOT believe what just happened!"

* * *

><p>Sephiroth sighed. Figures… she had faded before he could get a good look at her. However… this time, he had been able to see a pair of brown eyes before they disappeared with the rest of her. He smiled. It was progress, that's for sure.<p>

"Hopefully, it won't be too long now," he whispered to himself.

* * *

><p>Minerva arrived at a large castle that was a collage of many different styles of architecture. It should've clashed horribly, but as fits a god's dwelling it blended into a seamless, pleasing whole. Her Brother's home.<p>

An assistant opened the gateway and bowed towards her. "Welcome to my Master's castle. He sends his regrets at not meeting you himself, and requests that you make yourself comfortable until he has finished his other business," he greeted her.

"That sounds lovely," she told the assistant. As he rose from his bow, she got a good look at his face. It was an unfamiliar one, but friendly nevertheless. As he led her towards a set of rooms, she asked, "Forgive me for asking, but are you new?"

He laughed. "Not exactly, Lady Minerva, but I'm the youngest. The humans in our world had started a new religion about two thousand years ago, and thanks to that I was born," he answered as he opened the door to the castle and led her inside.

"I see."

They walked in comfortable silence for about a minute, then the assistant opened a door leading into a luxurious suite. "Would you like one of us to come inform you when he's finished, or would you rather rest until the evening meal?" he asked her.

"I'd like to wait, if that's alright. It's been a long journey," she decided.

The assistant nodded. "Understood, my lady. I'll inform my Master of your decision."

"Thank you," she said. As the assistant bowed and left the room, she briefly thought about using her mind's eye to check on the status of Gaia, but changed her mind. Not only did she have full faith in Leviathan, it was also considered rude to use one's powers in another god's home.

"Now…" she murmured to herself. "Shower first, or bed first?"

* * *

><p>AN: Cookies to those who can guess the (at least two) references I snuck in there! Oh, and reviews help bridge the gap between Katlyn and Sephy!


	5. Chapter 3

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine.

* * *

><p>"Lady Minerva?" came the young assistant's voice from the other side of the door.<p>

"Yes, what is it?" she called back while finishing up the last touches of her appearance, feeling refreshed after the shower (she had decided on bed first- after all, bed-head was not suitable for a Goddess).

"I came to inform you that the evening meal is ready, and that my Master is waiting in the dining hall," came the answer.

Minerva checked herself over one last time, then walked over to the door. Opening it, she was pleased to see that the young assistant was standing a little ways from the door- that meant that he was attentive, which didn't always happen with the newer assistants. In fact, it was one such- nope, not going to even THINK about that until she talked to her Brother.

The assistant bowed. "Would you like me to guide you to the dining hall?"

Smiling, she agreed. After two minutes of walking through twisted halls, they stopped in front of an unassuming set of doors. The assistant knocked three times, then after a brief moment swung the doors inward.

As he stepped aside and bowed, he said, "Please enjoy your meal!"

She nodded, then stepped into the small dining hall. Noticing absently the subtle, yet still breathtaking details of the room, her eyes instantly found the one being that could potentially be able to help.

"Hello, Minerva," said her Brother with a kind smile on his ageless face, standing up from the head of the small table that was filled with food.

Smiling back, she answered as she steadily made her way towards him, "Brother. It's been too long!"

"Indeed it has," he answered as they gave each other a hug.

As they pulled away from each other, Minerva started to say, "I apologize for potentially igniting a Meeting of the Worlds, but I needed—"

"Actually, I've been aware that you were on your way even before you had requested meeting with me," he interrupted, sitting down at the head of the table.

Minerva felt a shiver run up her spine as she also sat down. Him knowing that she was coming meant only one thing. "So… a Meeting of the Worlds is going to happen?"

He nodded as he filled his plate and started to eat.

She dropped her head in shame. "I'm so sorry… I know first-hand the dangers of igniting a Meeting, yet still I foolishly took the risk and came here, all to ask for your help…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say next as she stared at her empty plate.

Surprisingly, she heard the smile in his voice as he chastised, "Now, Minerva, didn't I teach you better than that?" As she glanced back up with surprise, he continued, "You didn't even bother to ask me HOW I knew you were coming. So go on, ask away!"

"O-kay…" she said with confusion as she also filled her plate and started to eat, "How did you know I was coming then, Brother?"

"That's better!" he approved. "Now, to answer your question: I knew because for quite some time now, one of the souls under your jurisdiction has managed to connect with one of the souls under mine. Mostly, the connection has manifested itself as dreams, but there have been instances where the two of them have been awake and were able to hear and see one another, although neither have seen each other fully through them."

Minerva was floored by the news. "But… who is the soul under my jurisdiction?"

"Well… that would spoil the surprise!" he answered teasingly. As Minerva immediately radiated an aura of EXTREME irritation, he relented, "Okay, okay. Use your powers to check on the one that I'm sure you came here to see me about." Seeing the skeptical look on her face, he added, "Don't worry about being rude- what you see may surprise you."

She raised an eyebrow at him, but obligingly closed her eyes and let herself see the status of Jenova's Heir.

Her eyes shot back open. "How is that possible?" she exclaimed with shock. "Even when the Meeting that allowed Jenova to transfer to my world happened, the only warning signs that occurred were subtle! Why are they so obvious now?"

Her Brother chewed (figuratively and literally) on the question.

"That… I don't know," he finally answered, swallowing his food. "Maybe it has to do with why you came here… why don't you go ahead and tell me your reason for coming here, and we'll go from there."

Minerva nodded. "I came because I was hoping you'd help me with the Jenova problem," she explained. "Every time I look into the future of Gaia, I see destruction. And it is all caused by the three who were implanted with her cells, and thus inherits many of her abilities. The two who had received the Jenova taint through Gillian Hewley, a woman who implanted the cells within herself, are the first to start it. Genesis Rhapsodos, who was injected with Gillian's cells, will be the one who initiates it due to him starting to degrade. Angeal Hewley, Gillian's son, will follow shortly after, although he will still retain a sense of honor and eventually will force his student, Zack Fair, to kill him. But it is Sephiroth, who was directly implanted with Jenova's cells thanks to his father Professor Hojo, who will cause the most damage. At first, he merely wants to save his friends Angeal and Genesis, who had defected from the army of which he is the General. However, when Genesis hints at his origins, and he follows it up with some research, he becomes insane."

"How does this insanity portray itself?" asked her Brother as several of his attendants came into the room and started to clear the table.

"First, he burns down the town that he will be in, which also happens to be the town of his birth. Then, he forces Zack Fair, who had started to become friends with, to fight him and easily defeats him. However, he is seemingly defeated by Cloud Strife, who is currently a cadet but will be an infantryman when he confronts Sephiroth. It happens when he stabs Cloud with his sword, who then manages to use that very sword as a lever to toss him into a reactor. However, thanks to the Jenova cells in his body, Sephiroth is able to return, and manages to use a tool I gave the first race of my world to summon a giant Meteor, in the hopes that he'll become a God when he stands in the center of the expected impact site and absorbs my Lifestream as it rushes to prevent it."

"Creative, but ultimately a failure," he remarked as his attendants finish cleaning and leave the room. "Our charges can't become Gods."

Minerva nodded in agreement, then continued, "Thankfully, he is defeated by Cloud Strife again, however not before Sephiroth slays the last of the first race, a young woman named Aerith who at the time will be using the companion tool that protects Gaia. At this point, Cloud will have gone through many hardships, the greatest being that he loses his memories of who he once was and replaces them with Zack's memories, while simultaneously forgetting that Zack Fair ever existed. This happens thanks to Hojo, who had exposed him to a large amount of my liquid Lifestream and injected him with Jenova cells."

"Hojo has his fingers in many of your future hardships," mused her Brother.

"Indeed he does," remarked Minerva. "Sephiroth finally manages to come back a second time by creating three young men from within the Lifestream who hunt for the last of the Jenova cells. After many battles between the trio and Cloud plus his allies, the one known as Kadaj will manage to absorb the cells, and will subsequently be taken over by Sephiroth. Luckily, young Cloud manages to defeat him very quickly, however… the last exchange between the two is what disturbs me the most."

"Let me guess… it's the one where Sephiroth remarks that he will never be a memory."

Minerva started at that. "Wait, how do you know?"

"Well, the story you had just told me is told on my world," he revealed. "However, as we all know stories can be very different from reality, so I needed you to tell your story to make sure that it corroborated with the one told on Earth."

"Well, la di da," she muttered under her breath. That was the downside of dealing with her Brother- he sometimes knew of your problem, yet pretended to be ignorant anyway. It was VERY annoying.

"Anyway, you were saying?" he asked, sensing her annoyance.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then continued, "As I'm sure you're aware, that comment alludes to the possibility of Sephiroth rising again, and I'm worried that if he does resurrect himself for a third time, then young Cloud won't be able to stop him again for whatever reason, and Gaia would suffer the consequences. I wish to stop the problem before it has a chance to develop, yet every time I think of a solution I see my WEAPONs destroying Gaia. Even though their purpose is to take the souls of Gaia and transfer them to another planet, the fact remains that I would rather them not be activated. So, I came here hoping that you would have a solution to my Jenova problem."

Her Brother hummed with thought as he leaned back in his chair. "Well… while I'm pleased that you had thought to come to me about this problem, ordinarily I wouldn't have any idea on how to help you. After all, the very future that you're trying to prevent is the version that's told on my world. However, with this unprecedented development between Sephiroth and the girl under my jurisdiction… there may be a possibility."

"What do you mean, Brother?"

"Well, the girl Katlyn is going to be attending her cousin's wedding soon… would Sephiroth happen to be attending a formal function on your world soon as well? And again, don't be hesitant to use your powers here, for this definitely qualifies as an unusual circumstance."

Minerva nodded as she quickly checked into Sephiroth's immediate future. "Why, yes. He's going to be attending a ball that features a band that won the right to play there."

Her Brother grinned with deviousness. "Well, how about we arrange for them to truly meet?"

She started at that. "Wait, you mean actually _control_ the Meeting?"

He nodded.

Staring at her Brother with shock, Minerva mulled over the idea. What he had suggested had never been done before… after all, Gods and Goddesses rarely combined their powers due to fear of destroying the very worlds they were charged to protect. However, if they were to combine them during a Meeting…

"It'd reduce the danger significantly," she mused aloud. As he nodded in agreement, she couldn't help but ask, "Why do you want them to meet anyway? I mean, if she knows his story, then—"

"Who says that she'll recognize him immediately as Sephiroth?" he interrupted. "After all, according to her, he's a fictional character in a video game series. So why would she ever think that she'd be able to actually meet him in real life?"

"Okay… I'll give you that. However, what if she finds out who he is?"

"Well… we'll cross that bridge when we reach it," he answered. "So, you game?"

"You didn't answer my original question- why do you want them to meet?"

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly answered, "Katlyn… is a unique soul, although I never realized it until the connection manifested itself. When I glance into her future, I see that it is not what she deserves. I'd like to see if I can't change that with this unprecedented opportunity."

Minerva stared at her Brother. She wasn't surprised that he hadn't paid attention to this Katlyn before, since he had billions of souls under his watch, but never had he shown such… she wasn't sure WHAT to call it, but it was severely out of character for him. After all, unlike herself he was more of a passive God, content to let his souls find their own way.

It was this revelation that prompted her to say, "Let's do it."

Her Brother nodded as he stood up. "Shall we depart to my study, then?"

* * *

><p>Sephiroth tugged at the infernal bow hanging around his neck for the umpteenth time as he looked at himself in the full-length mirror. This tuxedo was SO uncomfortable, and not for the first time he wished that he was able to wear his uniform to the accursed ball.<p>

"You look good, Sephiroth," commented Angeal, who stood with Genesis behind Sephiroth in a similar tuxedo. The trio were in the changing area of the tuxedo store that had been recommended to them by Lazard, trying on their pre-ordered tuxedos to make sure that they fit well enough for the ball the next day.

"What I don't get is why we can't just wear our uniforms to this useless function," muttered Sephiroth, glowering at his reflection.

"Why, that'd just make life too easy for us," remarked Genesis, sporting his own tuxedo. "After all, we're already going to be uncomfortable enough at this ball… so why not add to the fun!"

"Being a smart-ass doesn't help the situation, Gen," replied Angeal.

"Hey, we need humor in this situation. After all, Sephiroth's mystery girl wouldn't like him wearing a scowl on his face! He needs to look good for her!"

Sephiroth immediately turned to the red-head. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.

"Hey, you never know. She could be at the ball, too!" answered Genesis. "In fact, the two of you could dance and fall in love! Stranger things have happened, like the President somehow continuing to be appealing enough for women to bed him."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes slightly. "And what makes you think that we'd fall in love?"

"Well, let's face it- you're obsessed with this girl. It's obvious from the way that you've continually tried to hunt her down—"

"So that I'd get answers from her," Sephiroth interrupted, realizing what kind of conclusion his two friends had drawn from this whole situation. NOW Angeal's behavior from when he delivered the news of the ball to him made perfect sense.

Angeal cocked his head slightly as he asked, "Answers? What kind of answers?"

"Who she is, for one. Also, I'd like to know how and why she keeps appearing in my dreams, and why I glimpse occasional visions of her when I'm awake," answered Sephiroth. "I'll admit, I admire the sound of her voice… but how can you two think that I'd already be romantically attracted to someone whose face I've never seen?"

Angeal and Genesis looked at each other guiltily.

"Well… it's my fault, really," admitted Angeal. "Do you remember what you said when the girl vanished from the training room, just after Genesis and I had remarked that the two of us had felt hope when we heard her singing?"

One elegant silver eyebrow was raised as an answer.

"You said that what you were feeling when you heard her sing was more than hope, more than anything you had ever felt before," Genesis stated, obviously translating the raised eyebrow to mean no.

"And I translated that to mean that you were starting to fall for this mystery girl," finished Angeal.

"Hey, you weren't the only one. After all, this kind of a situation is generally considered to be very romantic," remarked Genesis.

"Hmph," was Sephiroth's only response.

"So… if you aren't falling for the mystery girl, then what DID you mean back then?" asked the red-head.

Sephiroth looked at him squarely as he answered, "Exactly what I meant. She makes me feel more than I've ever felt before, but as for it being love… I severely doubt it. After all, I'm sure that all she'd ever see me as is Sephiroth the Silver General, instead of Sephiroth the person, which really doesn't bode well for a future relationship. So, I refuse fall in love with her."

The two childhood friends stared at their third friend for a shocked moment. Then, Angeal smiled faintly and shook his head.

"What?" demanded Sephiroth.

"Oh, it's nothing," replied Angeal with a certain gleam in his eyes. Genesis, seeing this, smirked as well.

Sephiroth stared at his friends for a moment more, then turned back to the mirror.

"Who knows what those two are thinking about," he thought to himself as he tugged on the bowtie again. Suddenly, a surge of… _something_ surged through him, making him stand up straighter. Blinking his eyes to clear it, a stray thought struck him- everything would become clear the next day during the ball.

* * *

><p>"Gail, you look so gorgeous! I told you it'd still fit," gushed Katlyn as she finished helping her cousin into her wedding gown. Gail (during a rare, yet expected case of the pre-wedding jitters) had been fussing that she had gained too much weight after the last fitting, so Katlyn had suggested trying on the dress the day before to ensure that yes, the dress still fits.<p>

Gail looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, then turned and promptly gave Katlyn a hug. "Did I ever say thank you for picking out this dress at the dress shop?" she asked.

Katlyn answered seriously, "Yep. I think this is actually the fifty-second time, if I recall correctly."

"Oh, you!" responded Gail as she lightly smacked her cousin's arm. The two of them stared at each other for a second, then simultaneously erupted into laughter.

"Okay, you win this round," Gail remarked as the two of them squeezed out the last couple of chuckles. "Now, help me get out of the dress before I ruin it." As Katlyn helped her, she couldn't help but say as she stepped out of said dress, "Now, it's your turn."

"My turn for what?" asked Katlyn as she put the dress back on its hanger and hung it in the closet.

Gail grinned evilly. "It's your turn to make sure YOUR dress fits!"

"Are you serious?" As Gail pulled out the dress, Katlyn palmed her face as she muttered, "Oh God. You ARE serious."

"That's right! Now put this on."

As Katlyn put on her dress, her cousin asked, "So… anymore weird mirror visions about Dreamy McHottietons?"

Katlyn shook her head. "Not without lack of hoping. Seriously, I've spent so much time standing in front of mirrors that people must think I'm obsessed with my appearance!"

Gail watched her cousin through the mirror as she zipped up Katlyn's dress. Katlyn had such a depressed look on her face… it was almost heartbreaking. Ever since Katlyn had seen her dream guy in the mirror of the dressing room (which would have been unbelievable, except for the fact that Gail knew Katlyn couldn't lie to save her life- she preferred to omit information instead), she had been obsessing even more than she had before. After all, she now had proof that the guy didn't just exist in her dreams.

"You know… the wedding isn't all that exclusive. Maybe he'll crash it, or something," she said, hoping to cheer Katlyn up.

Katlyn snorted as she looked over her shoulder at Gail. "You didn't see the state of his office- with it that organized, it's HIGHLY unlikely that he'd do something as low as crashing a wedding."

"Well, then he's DEFINITELY the perfect guy for you! After all, you can't be organized enough to make up a grocery list!"

Katlyn mock-gasped. "That was mean, Gail!" she pouted. Turning back towards the mirror, she self-consciously brushed her hands down her dress as she looked at herself. She suddenly stood straighter as a surge of… _something_ surged through her. When it cleared, only one thought coursed through her mind- everything would change tomorrow during the wedding.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, the ORIGINAL plan was that this chapter would be the one to feature the dance where Sephiroth and Katlyn would truly meet for the first time. HOWEVER, apparently Minerva realized that she never had a chapter that was mostly her, and promptly blackmailed me with the anti-muse until I did so. I TRIED petitioning to Katlyn for help, but then she agreed with Minerva... so here's the result! Oh, and I know Sephiroth and Katlyn's sections are probably really bad hand waves, but I've had complaints on dA that it seemed like Sephy was instantly falling in love (which made him EXTREMELY OOC), I tried to portray what he was thinking during this whole thing. And, of course I can't leave Katlyn out... so yeah. Please review!


	6. Chapter 4

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine

* * *

><p>As he sat across from Minerva, her Brother looked steadily into her face. He could feel their two worlds combining as a literal ache. The closer the two worlds were, the greater the pain.<p>

When the pain suddenly 'clicked', he said, "Now… let's combine our powers, and confine the Meeting to just where Katlyn and Sephiroth are!"

* * *

><p>"It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to our annual Stockholders' Ball!" announced the President of Shinra.<p>

"And now sit back and watch as my stomach jiggles in time with my speech!" muttered Genesis softly, as so not to be heard by those unenhanced.

Angeal stifled a snigger as Sephiroth smirked with amusement. Genesis' cattiness served as a welcome relief to a ball that was already proving to be EXTREMELY boring… and they hadn't even served dessert yet. To make things worse, it turned out that the three Firsts were the only members of the military there, so they couldn't even share their misery with people who would understand their pain.

"Ugh… how much longer do we have to suffer through this hell?" whispered Angeal.

"Another couple of hours, at least," Sephiroth whispered back.

The trio sighed. As Genesis and Angeal started to quietly make fun of the President, Sephiroth let his mind wander back to that strange feeling back in that tuxedo shop. He had been on alert ever since he had arrived in the ballroom, yet so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"And so, without further ado, I would like to say…" rambled the President.

"… that it's about goddamn time," suddenly came the female voice that had haunted his dreams (and his office), somehow amplified to echo throughout the room.

Until now.

Sephiroth quickly glanced over at his friends to see that the two of them apparently hadn't heard her voice this time. He subtly searched around the room until he spotted the anomaly- a long table on the far side of the room that obviously featured a bridal couple, along with several others, including a woman that stood dressed in a navy blue gown that was in an unusual (yet very flattering) style. It was strapless, with silver tracing the top of the dress that traveled down the front and eventually faded enough to reveal some black, the effect towards the bottom striking him as similar to stars in the night sky. She clutched a black wireless microphone in her hand, into which she spoke to.

"I mean, Doug, you had been dating Gail for HOW long?" she remarked, her voice the same as the one from his dreams.

His eyes widened as he took in her appearance. _He could see her face_. And while it wasn't considered traditionally beautiful (the brown eyes were just a little too big, there was a slight double-chin, and there was something about her nose he couldn't quite pinpoint), the overall effect was still very pleasing to the eye. As she suddenly laughed at the protests of who he assumed to be Doug, he was surprised at how dazzling her smile was.

He watched her as time went on, and was happy to see that this time she wasn't fading away. No, if anything the apparition grew stronger. In fact, it was quite the welcome relief to the usual bull that the President constantly spouted. It seemed like they were at a similar point in their festivities, so he guessed that as soon as their dessert was served there would most likely be dancing. _That_ would be the ideal time to confront the woman if she was still there. But first…

"Hey, Sephiroth, you okay?" asked Angeal, his fork hovering over his food.

Sephiroth quickly looked back at his friend as he said, "I'm fine, why do you ask?"

Genesis' eyes widened at the comment, for he actually sounded sincere about that. "You're never fine at these things… you can see her, can't you?"

Sephiroth just stared at him with slight surprise in his eyes. He hadn't realized that he had let his control down enough that Genesis could figure out what had happened.

Genesis grinned with triumph at the General's expression. "Ha! I was right! Where is she? You have to spill details on what she looks like now that you—"

"Genesis, that's enough!" Angeal softly snapped. Turning to Sephiroth, he asked, "Well… is he right?"

Sephiroth debated on whether or not to tell Angeal. Suddenly, he was struck with a brilliant idea- maybe he can use Angeal to help test his theory that the apparition was getting stronger! "Look over to the far side of the room on the other side of the dance floor, and tell me if you see anything," he answered.

Angeal surreptitiously glanced over to where Sephiroth had indicated. After several intense seconds, suddenly his eyes widened. "There's movement! I can't see what moved… but there was definitely _something_," he remarked.

Sephiroth hid his smile of relief with a trademark smirk.

Genesis immediately looked over to where Angeal had been looking, the expression on his face competitive, as if he had taken on a challenge. Seconds later, he said softly, "Well, Goddess protect me… there IS movement there!" Turning to Sephiroth, he asked, "So… what is making the movement?"

"It seems like she's attending a wedding reception," answered Sephiroth. "What's more, her face is finally visible to me."

"You serious?" came the simultaneous question.

"Is she attractive?" added Genesis. This prompted a slap on the back of the head, courtesy of Angeal. Several people curiously glanced over, but the trio ignored them with practiced ease.

"She's not traditionally beautiful," Sephiroth answered, "but she is pleasant to look at."

"Well… what are you going to do, Sephiroth?"

Sephiroth was silent for a moment, staring over at the place where the woman had just sat back down and was laughing with the bride. "Well," he answered finally, "it looks like their celebration is at a similar point to ours. I'm guessing that soon they'll have dancing as well. When that happens, if she is still there, then I'll finally go and ask her who she is and why she's been in my dreams."

Angeal nodded his approval of the plan. "Just remember to not be so intimidating. If she feels threatened by you, she may not be able to answer your questions," he advised.

"Also, if she doesn't recognize your looks, don't tell her your name. If she knows who you are, she might erupt into a fainting fangirl," added Genesis.

"I'll keep that in mind," replied Sephiroth, more to Angeal than to Genesis.

"Do you want either of us to go with you?" asked Angeal.

Sephiroth shook his head. "I think this is one meeting I have to make alone," he commented.

"Understood."

Genesis grinned. "Well… this Ball is turning out to be _very_ interesting after all!"

* * *

><p>Katlyn sighed as she watched her cousin dance her first dance with her new husband. While she was happy for Gail… she couldn't help but feel sad that Tom couldn't care enough to attend such an important function with her. When Doug dropped Gail into a dramatic dip at the end of the song, she schooled her face to hide her sadness and clapped alongside everyone else.<p>

"Those lessons really paid off! You two looked great!" she said as she walked up to the triumphant couple.

"Aww… thanks Katlyn! That really means a lot!" answered Gail, blinking away happy tears. Suddenly pulling Katlyn close, she whispered in her ear, "Thank God your sister isn't here, huh? After all, she'd probably try to one-up me if she had seen the dance!"

"Yeah… she probably would. After all, she can't STAND to have anyone steal her spotlight, even if it's all in her head," replied Katlyn.

As the two cousins giggled, Doug asked, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, we were just gossiping on those who have thankfully decided not to attend, no big whoop," answered his bride.

Doug sighed, "Let me guess- it's a relative I haven't met yet?"

"Yep. And be thankful that you haven't met her, for she's… _special_," answered Katlyn, the emphasis on 'special' carrying the tone that it wasn't a good thing.

"Ah."

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" called out the DJ, who also happened to be one of Doug's cousins. When no one heard him due to them commenting to each other about Doug and Gail's dance, he called out, "HEY!"

Several people jumped with surprise, which made everyone (including the ones who jumped) laugh.

"Now that I have your attention… would Mr. Lune please kindly come out to the dance floor for the father-daughter dance?" he requested.

As her uncle walked out to the dance floor, Katlyn made a beeline for the wet bar. "One glass of White Zinfandel, please," she ordered, showing the bartender her ID. Grabbing the requested glass, she glanced around the room debating on where she should enjoy it. Seeing several of her relatives REALLY getting into the song, she settled on sitting down at a table to make sure that she didn't spill it all over her dress. Picking a table that enabled her to watch the dance floor, she settled down and started to sip her wine.

"Is that wine any good?" came a vaguely familiar male voice.

As she turned towards the voice, she started to answer, "Well, it's not the best I've tasted, but it's not ba…" Her voice trailed off as she saw who it was._ It was the man from the dreams_. And man, was he a looker- tall, with long silver hair and glowing green eyes. In fact, he looked even more familiar… before she could continue that thought, it danced out of her reach.

Sitting down in a chair next to her, he studied her intently. Katlyn noticed that he was dressed in a smart black tuxedo with a silver bow-tie and cummerbund. The color combination reminded her of somebody… again, the thought escaped her before she could finish thinking about it.

"You recognize me," he stated suddenly.

She nodded. "I do, although I don't know your name," she answered, unsure of how to continue. How do you tell a guy that he's been in your dreams every night without seeming like a desperate weirdo?

He seemed surprised by her statement. "How do you recognize me, then?"

"You seem to know me," she countered. "How is that you do?"

He was silent for a moment, as if debating on how to continue. "I've seen you in my dreams and in visions," he finally answered, the expression on his face aware of how desperate he sounded.

_Well, might as well be equally desperate-sounding, _she thought to herself. "It's been the same for me, although I've only had one vision of you when I was awake."

The two of them studied each other for a moment more. Vaguely, Katlyn was aware that Gail's dance had ended, and Doug was now dancing with his mother. She quickly glanced over to see that Gail was staring at her and her companion, a questioning look on her face.

"Later," she mouthed to her cousin. Gail nodded, and turned back towards her other guests. The mystery man noticed this, and looked over towards Gail.

"Your sister?" he asked, turning back to her.

Katlyn shook her head in the negative. "My cousin, who's also my god-sister," she answered. "She is closer to me than my real sister is."

"I see."

She couldn't stop herself from asking, "Do you have any sisters?"

"Not that I'm aware of," he answered, shaking his head and making that long silver hair move back and forth.

"Oh."

Silence reigned again between the two of them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, nor was it a comfortable one. If anything, it was tinged with uncertainty, for it seemed neither of them knew how to continue the conversation that they both wanted to have.

"So…" Katlyn finally said hesitantly, "do you have any idea why these dreams have been happening?"

He quirked an eyebrow as he answered, "I was hoping you'd have the answer for that."

"Well, that sucks. I thought…" she started to say, but for some odd reason she couldn't finish her sentence. _What's wrong with me_, she thought to herself, _that I can't seem to finish certain thoughts and sentences?_

"You okay?" he asked.

She smiled in reassurance as she answered, "Sorry, I had a brain fart."

He burst out into laughter at her statement. "You had a what?" he finally managed to choke out.

"A brain fart," she repeated. When this prompted a fresh burst of laughter, she asked, "What, you've never heard that term before?"

As his laughter died down, he wiped tears from his eyes as he answered, "I can honestly say that I have not."

"Huh, I guess the term's not as popular as I thought," she remarked softly, as so that he wouldn't hear.

Surprisingly, he heard the remark and replied, "At least, it isn't popular in the city where I'm from."

Her jaw dropped slightly in surprise. "How did you hear that?" she demanded.

"I have excellent hearing," he answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"Clearly."

"Ladies and gentlemen, here is the first foreign language song of the evening. Sung by the Japanese superstar Gackt, this is _Love Letter_," announced the DJ. For a moment, however, Katlyn could faintly hear odd echoes, as if someone else was saying something at the same time.

The silver-haired man stood up at this announcement, and held out his hand as the first couple of notes started to play. "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled as she stood up as well. "I'd love to."

* * *

><p>"Well, look at that," remarked her Brother as the two of them watched Sephiroth lead Katlyn towards the part of the dance floor that was shared by both worlds. "I wonder, though, how it is that Sephiroth is more aware of the Meeting than Katlyn is?"<p>

"Maybe it's because of Sephiroth's connection to Jenova, who had also been aware of a Meeting and used it to her advantage," mused Minerva. "What I'm curious about is the fact that whenever Katlyn seems to get a handle on who he might be, her mind instantly veers away from the subject."

"Could be a side effect of us combining our powers," came the reply, which was accompanied by a shrug.

Minerva thought about his answer, and decided to accept it as the case. After all, this was the first time that they've done this, and she WAS curious at what Sephiroth and Katlyn would do now that they could interact in person. Her Brother obviously at least felt the same amount of curiosity, if not more if the expression on his face was anything to go by.

They watched as the two people from different worlds started to dance to the song, which was surprisingly the same on both worlds.

"You know, it's funny how some things are the same on multiple worlds, isn't it Minerva? I mean, who would've thought that we'd share some of the same songs!" laughed her Brother. Before he could say anything more, however, Minerva interrupted him.

"Brother, look at the connection line growing between them!" she exclaimed. "It's one of the strongest I've ever seen!"

He glanced over at what she was looking at. "Well, well, well… this is definitely interesting, considering they've just met in person," he remarked. "And look at what's happening behind them."

Minerva promptly looked, and gasped at what she saw. "Why… that's the wing that manifests itself when he comes back the second time, although it's transparent now! And she has a matching one, except it's white!" Glancing over at her fellow God, she asked, "How can this be?"

"I don't know," he answered. "One thing is for certain- some people are unconsciously aware of the wings, notably Angeal, Genesis, and Gail."

She glanced over at the three people mentioned, and saw that they were staring intently at the dancing couple, all of them obviously surprised at the turn of events that were happening. From Genesis and Angeal, she picked up shock at the fact that Sephiroth was actually dancing with someone, and curiosity about the girl he was dancing with. Genesis especially was focusing on Katlyn, and he was obviously the one who was more aware of the transparent wings, even though he thought it was just a strange trick of the light. Gail, however, radiated curiosity about who her cousin was dancing with, and wonderment about Sephiroth being the man that Katlyn had talked about.

"Hey Minerva," her Brother suddenly said. As she turned towards him, he continued, "Who do you think is going to confront Sephiroth and Katlyn first? Gail, Angeal, or Genesis?"

Glancing back at the scene unfolding, she guessed, "Probably Genesis. He's always been competitive with Sephiroth, and he's definitely curious about Katlyn."

"Good point… but my personal guess is actually going to be Gail."

"Why her?"

Her Brother pointed as he answered, "Because while all of them are on the opposite sides of their respective rooms, she's the one that's closer."

Minerva looked over at Gail, then noticed something that her Brother had overlooked. "Well… while she may be closer, she also has to deal with her in-laws," she said smugly.

Her Brother laughed at her tone. "Well, then we'll have to see what happens!"

* * *

><p>"Wow… you're a remarkable dancer," Katlyn remarked as the song finally ended.<p>

The silver-haired man nodded his thanks at the compliment, and responded with, "You're quite the dancer yourself."

"Thank you," she replied, a little glow of warmth igniting at the compliment.

As the two of them shared a smile, suddenly their bubble of privacy was popped.

"Katlyn!" called Gail as she started to rush over from the other side of the room, where she had apparently been talking with her new in-laws. "I need your help with 'private' matters!"

"So… Katlyn's your name," he remarked. "Do you have a last name, as well?"

"OH! I'm so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! Yes, my name is Katlyn Lune," she replied, blushing at her oversight. Suddenly, she was struck with the realization that he never introduced himself, either. "And… can I ask _your_ name? After all, my cousin is probably EXTREMELY curious as to who you are."

"Oh… I'm sorry, I guess introducing myself slipped my—" he started to answer, however he was interrupted by two people she had never seen before, although they too looked extremely familiar.

"Hey, is this the girl from your dreams?" asked a tall, ruggedly handsome man whose plain tuxedo couldn't hide how well muscled he was. He was accompanied by a red-head who was, in a word, more flamboyant than him. The red bow-tie and cummerbund helped testify to that description.

"It is," answered her companion. "Genesis, Angeal, meet Katlyn Lune. Katlyn, these are my friends Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley."

"It's nice to meet you both," she said politely, while puzzling over where she had heard those names before. It was right on the tip of her tongue…

"You should be proud, Katlyn," remarked the one called Genesis. "After all, most of the time Sephiroth doesn't even bother to talk to members of the opposite sex, let alone dance with them!"

Katlyn's mind stopped when she heard the name of her companion, who started to protest at Genesis' statement. Sephiroth? As in THE Sephiroth, the villain of her favorite video game series of all time? Slowly turning to her dance partner, she quickly searched for a clue that would prove his identity. She quickly found it in his eyes- sure enough, they had a slit pupil instead of a normal round one.

"Katlyn!" said Gail as she finally caught up with the group. Turning to exclude Genesis and Angeal, she remarked, "I'm sorry to tear you two apart, but Katlyn we have to go, like, NOW."

"O-okay," Katlyn slightly stammered, surprised that Gail was not seeing two of her own favorite characters. A quick glance revealed that the two of them apparently hadn't seen Gail come up to them, and were now trying to engage Sephiroth in small talk. Hiding her astonishment, she quickly bowed in apology as she said, "Please excuse me."

"Will you come back soon?" asked Sephiroth, staring intently at her.

"Of course she will! We won't take longer than ten minutes, promise!" Gail answered for Katlyn, pushing her towards the restrooms.

Katlyn glanced back to see the trio watching them leave, an unreadable expression on Sephiroth's face. She was unsure on whether she felt comforted or uneasy about that fact.

* * *

><p>"Huh? Where'd she go?" remarked Genesis as the newly-introduced Katlyn suddenly faded away.<p>

"She faded away… just like all of the other times," sighed Sephiroth. "It was probably due to her cousin dragging her away."

Angeal looked at him curiously then. "Her cousin?"

Sephiroth looked at him as he replied, "You know, the girl in the bridal gown that came and requested Katlyn's help with a 'private' matter?"

Genesis and Angeal looked at each other, then back at their third friend.

"Sephiroth, there WAS no girl in a bridal gown," Genesis stated.

"At least, none that we saw," added Angeal.

"You… didn't see her?" As Angeal and Genesis shook their heads in the negative, Sephiroth sighed again. Glancing back at the spot where Katlyn had faded away, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about the expressions that had crossed her face in rapid succession when she had learned his name. If he had been reading them correctly, there had been surprise, astonishment, and surprisingly fear. He decided that he needed to try and figure this out on his own.

"Angeal, Genesis, if you'll excuse me," he quickly said, striding towards the doors to the ballroom as the band struck up a rather fast-paced number.

"Where're you going?" called out Angeal.

Sephiroth called back, "I'm going to the men's room!"

"Don't take too long! You need to tell us more about this Katlyn girl!" Genesis called out rather loudly. Several women who had been sneaking up to the trio suddenly deflated as they heard this.

Sephiroth smirked at the women's reactions as he strode towards the nearest restrooms. The smirk faded as Katlyn's reaction sprung to the forefront of his mind.

"I wonder… what could've made her feel those emotions?" he mused aloud as he entered the men's bathroom.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Katlyn, now spill. Is that the guy from the mirror?" Gail asked as the two of them walked out of the ladies' bathroom. When Katlyn didn't respond, Gail quickly looked over at her cousin to see that Katlyn had stopped just outside of the door. She still had a shocked expression on her face, which hadn't left since the two of them had headed towards the restroom.<p>

"Uh, Katlyn, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," the bride asked of her cousin, stopping as well.

Suddenly, Katlyn started to laugh a disbelieving laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Oh, Gail, a ghost would've made more sense than what really happened!" she finally exclaimed.

Gail leaned slightly back as she remarked, "Katlyn, you're scaring me."

Katlyn turned towards her cousin. "Sorry, Gail. It's just… oh my God. What the hell is going on?"

"Um, okay… who was the guy you were dancing with?'

Sighing, Katlyn answered, "Well… remember back when you dragged me to the dance studio, and I told you about the dreams?"

"Of course, how could I forget?"

"Well, do you remember your comment after I told you when the dreams started?"

Gail thought about it for a moment. "You mean the one where I remarked that maybe the two of you are from different worlds?" she finally queried.

"You have no idea on HOW right you were when you made that comment!"

"Katlyn… what do you mean?"

"Well… the man I was dancing was indeed the man from my dreams and the mirror. However, it wasn't until just before you dragged me to the bathroom that I finally found out his name: Sephiroth."

"Seph- wait, you don't mean THAT Sephiroth? How can you be sure it was THE Sephiroth?" Gail asked with a disbelieving tone in her voice.

Katlyn leaned against the wall as she covered her face with her hands. "He had the slit pupils, Gail," she answered.

Gail stood there, shocked at the turn of events. She was willing to bet that even the fanfictions that Katlyn sometimes indulged in never had this kind of scenario happen in them.

"So… what are you going to do?" she asked finally.

Removing her hands as she sighed, Katlyn looked back at her cousin. "I guess… I'll go back out and see if he's still there. It seems that he's still sane at this point, so…"

"And then after?"

"I don't know," Katlyn sighed. "I really don't know. I mean, while I was dancing with him, I felt so happy… happier than I've ever felt with Tom."

Gail laid a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "If I may make a suggestion?"

"Hmm?"

"If you felt happier with Sephiroth than with Tom, and if Sephiroth is still in fact sane, then why don't you take the chance? If he's still there, find a way for the two of you to stay connected! Who knows, you may even influence him enough to stay sane!"

Katlyn stared at her cousin. "You know…" she finally said, "I'll take you up on that suggestion!"

As the two of them walked back to the reception, Gail remarked, "See, I DO have good ideas!"

"Of course you do, Gail."

* * *

><p>"And so the Meeting ends," remarked Minerva, stopping the flow of her power. As she felt her Brother do the same, she remarked, "You know, I'm surprised at how well Katlyn took the news of Sephiroth's identity."<p>

Her Brother nodded. "That's why Katlyn is so special," he responded.

"So… what now?"

He hummed in thought as he folded his arms over his chest. "I have an idea," he finally answered.

* * *

><p>AN: FINALLY! Man, this version of the dance scene took a while... oh, and Katlyn's speech and the rambunctiousness of her relatives during the father-daughter dance section (the song I was think of was 'My Girl', of course!) was inspired by what happened at my cousin Erica's wedding. In other news, if you want to see what Katlyn's dress looked like, remove the spaces and put this: http : / / www. bestforbride. com / images / evening / Aglaia06 / S2135. jpg in wherever you put your web addy's. Oh, and I suggest that you listen to Gackt's 'Love Letter', for it WILL be appearing again! And as always, I apologize for any OOC-ness that occurred.


	7. Chapter 5

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine. I also don't own 'Before He Cheats' by Carrie Underwood.

WARNING- Foul language and a disturbing scene involving domestic violence lays ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you!

* * *

><p>"Katlyn, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?" asked Alia, her longtime friend and her current lawyer. The red-head sat behind her desk as Katlyn sat in one of her client chairs, and her green eyes held nothing but concern.<p>

Nodding, Katlyn answered, "Yes, I'm sure. It's finally time that I removed Tom from my life completely, and I think it's best if I do it while he's still out on this 'conference' of his."

"Yeah… but to go ahead and remove him from your lease and all other important documents?"

"Well, if I do it now, then he can't come up with reasons for me to stick with him, and I won't be able to chicken out of it," Katlyn replied. "After all, I stayed with the cheating bastard for over three years! It's about damn time I finally give him what he deserves."

Alia suddenly grinned at Katlyn's response. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear those words coming out of your mouth!" she exclaimed as she got up and searched for the appropriate documents.

"Oh, don't give me that crap of 'I told you so'!"

Alia laughed outright at Katlyn's groan. She sobered, however, as she grabbed a binder and asked, "I gotta ask, though, what prompted you to finally do this? I'm dying of curiosity!"

"Uh…well…" Katlyn started to answer, her mind racing on how she could tell her friend about Sephiroth without seeming like she was crazy. Finally deciding to be vague, she finished, "I met a guy at Gail's wedding last week, and I'd like to see if I can't develop a relationship with him."

"Ooo! Details, now!"

_Crap_. "Well, he came up to me while I was watching Uncle Colin dance with Gail. We started talking for a little bit, then he asked me to dance, and finally he introduced me to two of his friends," Katlyn explained, deliberately avoiding the bits that she knew Alia wanted to hear. "It was odd, though, because when I came back to the reception room from helping Gail out, he had disappeared."

"Disappeared?" inquired Alia, sitting back down and opening the binder. "Like, he was a crasher or something? Seriously, Katlyn, didn't you watch 'Wedding Crashers'? Those guys are—"

"Alia!" Katlyn interrupted when she sensed a rant coming on. "I highly doubt he was a crasher, for his personality didn't match with that type of activity. If I had to take a wild guess, he'd be the type of person who is generally very private unless he's with his friends or with someone who catches his interest, and sometimes even then."

Looking up, Alia asked, "You sure about that?"

"As sure as I am a fan of Final Fantasy VII." Katlyn was pleased that she was able to keep a straight face when she said that.

"Ooo, and you're a HUGE fan," commented her friend. "Alright, just as long as he's not another Tom. So, what does he look like?"

"Ms. Crittendon?" came the receptionist's voice suddenly.

_Saved by the page _thought Katlyn with relief as Alia answered, "Yes, what is it?"

"A Mr. Sosuke is here to see you," came the reply.

Alia groaned. "Did you tell him that I'm in the middle of a meeting?"

"Yes, ma'am, however he demanded that I interrupt you."

Groaning again, Alia ordered, "Tell him I'll be there shortly."

"Okay, ma'am, I will."

"I swear, that guy is SUCH a control freak!" Alia griped to Katlyn after pressing the end button. "I tell him to come in at four to talk about his latest business venture that one of my clients is opposing, and he INSISTS that I reschedule it for ten in the morning! And now he shows up after I EXPLICITLY told him that I couldn't reschedule!"

"And let me guess- he insists that you treat him like his shit don't stink?" Katlyn asked with a small grin.

"Yep. And the way he carries himself, it's like he has a God complex or something!"

"What an ass," Katlyn said sympathetically. "Don't I have to sign paperwork for my thing?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, why don't you give me the paperwork, and I'll sign it out in the lobby while you deal with this guy? After all, I have nothing else major planned for the day," she offered.

"No, you don't have to—"

"The sooner you deal with this creep, the sooner you'll get him out of here!" Katlyn interrupted.

After a second's contemplation, Alia replied, "Touché. Well, let me get the paperwork, then I'll deal with that asshole-sonovabitch."

* * *

><p>"<em>'Cuz I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four wheel drive<em>," Katlyn belted out at the top of her lungs. She had been singing along to break-up songs ever since she had gotten home from Alia's office to psych herself up for Tom's arrival. During the time when she had gone to fill out her paperwork while Alia dealt with her troublesome visitor (who, for some odd reason, really reminded Katlyn of an evil overlord… maybe it was the perfectly-styled hair), she had gotten a text from her soon-to-be ex announcing that she was to expect him sometime in the evening.

"Fucking dick… acting like I'm his maid or something," she had grumbled upon reading that text. "He'll get what he deserves soon enough!"

As she sang, Katlyn couldn't help but think about what had happened at Gail's reception. When she and Gail returned from the bathroom, they had found (to Katlyn's dismay) that Sephiroth had disappeared without a trace. Discreetly asking the other guests about him revealed that most of them hadn't noticed him at all, and the few who did notice had no idea when or where he went.

"Don't worry, Katlyn," Gail had said when they had talked to everyone, "I'm sure that you two'll see each other again."

Katlyn had looked at her cousin curiously as she asked, "What makes you so sure?"

Gail only shrugged as she answered, "I dunno. I just have a feeling that you'll see Sephiroth again."

Katlyn slowly stopped singing as she glanced at the full-length mirror in her hallway. She still checked every time she came across a mirror to see if she could catch a glimpse of Sephiroth, and yet just like the other times the mirror only revealed her reflection. Despite the fact that the dreams had abruptly stopped a day after the reception, she still clutched to the hope that her cousin was right. Even though they had only interacted for that short amount of time… she had come to the realization that she did indeed want to take a chance with the One Winged Angel. Unsurprisingly, she felt an undeniable pull of curiosity every she thought about Sephiroth, and she couldn't deny that Gail had a point when she mentioned that there was a (very slim) chance of keeping him sane. After all, thanks to the games, she knew she could tell him the truth about Jenova and his origins… although she was unsure if she would survive the experience in case the knowledge turned him to the dark side.

As she walked onto the balcony attached to her apartment to watch the sunset, suddenly she heard a key turning in the lock. He was back… and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. However, she _knew_ she had to do this.

"Katlyn! Katlyn, where are you?" came the imperious voice of Tom.

"I'm on the balcony… and you need to read the papers on the kitchen table before you come to see me," she called back, only turning around enough for her voice to carry through the open balcony door.

"What are you talking about? Why should I do anything before seeing you?"

"Because I asked you to! Will you for once just do what I ask?" Katlyn snapped, becoming irritated. She turned back once she heard his bitching head towards the kitchen. The bitching abruptly faded as Tom read the papers on the table. As he started to head towards the balcony, Katlyn took a breath to prepare herself.

"Would you care to explain to me what the hell this is about?" Tom asked.

Turning, Katlyn took in her soon-to-be ex's appearance. If there was one way to describe Tom's looks, it was a skinny, pretty boy version of Bruce Willis. He was still wearing the black suit that she assumed he wore to the 'conference', however the tie was loosened around his neck and he had abandoned the matching jacket somewhere inside the apartment.

"I'm breaking up with you," she said simply.

"What do you mean, 'You're breaking up with me'?" he inquired angrily.

"Well, Tom, I've grown sick of you treating me like shit!" Katlyn shot back.

"Bullshit. When have I ever treated you like shit?"

Katlyn laughed disbelievingly. "Are you kidding me? Let's see… you treat me like I'm your maid, you only seem to acknowledge my existence when it's advantageous to you… oh, and let's not forget that you're CHEATING on me with your EX!"

Surprise filled Tom's face at that revelation. He hadn't realized that Katlyn knew about his infidelity. Trying to recover, he immediately started to deny it, saying, "I've never cheated on you, Katlyn, I—"

"Bullshit! I saw you two having sex in her office!"

"When?"

"Remember the last time I brought lunch to your office? I had brought it over because it was our six-month anniversary, which of course you FORGOT, and I wanted to surprise you by bringing your favorite lunch over myself. When I arrived, your secretary told me that you had gone to your boss' office, so I went up there. And do you know what I found? You having sex with her on her DESK! That's when I realized that you never _truly_ ended things with her."

Stunned, Tom simply stood there as Katlyn continued, "In the beginning, I stayed with you because I thought that I was in love with you. However, I can't fool even myself with that pitiful excuse anymore! Do you want to know something? Thanks to you not coming with me to Gail's wedding, I actually met a guy there that I actually want to pursue a relationship with!"

"What?" Tom said dangerously, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yeah! He was a real gentleman to me, and I want to see if the two of us can't develop a relationship. That's why I'm breaking up with you and kicking you out of _my_ apartment- because I, at least, have enough class to not fool around behind someone's back! I'm giving you some respect that, quite frankly, you don't deserve. I'll help you pack, however after that I want you _gone_."

"Where the hell am I supposed to go?"

"To be quite frank, I don't know and I don't care. Maybe you can move back in with your 'ex'. I mean, after all it wouldn't surprise me that the two of you had concocted this scheme in order to get close to my grandpa. Everyone knows he's rich, and as his granddaughter I'm _bound_ to get some of his money. In fact, she's such a gold-digger that—"

"SHUT UP!" Tom finally roared. Suddenly backhanding her, he growled, "Don't you talk about her that way!"

Katlyn reeled back from the force of his slap. She started to panic as she stepped on something that rolled- what it was, she couldn't recall. Her scream tore out of her mouth as her body hit the railing… and toppled over it.

"Wha—" was the only thought in her mind as she fell three stories. Then, everything went black.

* * *

><p><em>The two figures, one female and one male, faced each other in an environment of metal. As an eerie green glow illuminated the room, the male said something in a mocking tone. None of the viewers of this scene were able to hear what he had said… but somehow, in that instant they knew that he was merely an instrument for something much, much fouler.<em>

_ The female bowed her head as a single black wing erupted from the male's back. Although her face itself was a blur, tears could be clearly seen falling from her eyes. Suddenly, she was engulfed in a golden glow, and one…two…three white wings erupted from her back._

_ They rushed toward each other, one a black and silver blur, and the other a white and golden blur. Coming together, coming apart… the deadly dance was perfectly balanced. Occasionally, the glint of two thin strips of metal could be seen, one much longer than the other. Sparks flew occasionally, yet the dance continued._

_ Suddenly, however, it ended with the golden one being pierced. As he saw this scene, the silver one's eyes suddenly filled with the realization at what he had done. The cry that erupted from his mouth was heart-wrenching, filled with pain, sorrow… and love._

* * *

><p>Sephiroth bolted awake. He quickly took note of his surroundings, recognized the simple design of his bedroom. Sighing, he placed a palm to his forehead to try and clear his mind after that… disturbing dream. It definitely wasn't a meeting with the mysterious Katlyn Lune like he had been hoping for. Those dreams had suddenly stopped after that fateful Ball… and needless to say he wasn't happy about that fact. After all, he had been hoping to use those dreams as a chance to communicate with her, and the fact that they had stopped set his plans back quite a bit.<p>

However, the dream he had just had… it was terrifying. Somehow, it seemed more…_ real_ than all of his other dreams. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew both of those figures… especially the silver one.

"Just what… was that dream?" he wondered aloud. Unbeknownst to him, five others on his world had also bolted awake, each one of them just as confused as he as to what happened.

* * *

><p>Katlyn's eyes opened to find the same eerie glow from the dream… vision… filling the air around her.<p>

"What happ—" she started to ask, however she stopped as suddenly the memory of her falling from her apartment balcony came rushing through her head.

"So… am I… dead?" she wondered aloud.

"Not quite," came a voice.

Spinning, Katlyn gaped with shock at the scene that met her eyes.

* * *

><p>AN: Well. That was a short, but eventful chapter! I have to apologize, though, in case I screwed up the whole lease thing. As you can probably guess, I have no idea on how that stuff works. Reviews'll help Sephiroth and the others figure out what happened!


	8. Chapter 6

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, though Katlyn is mine.

* * *

><p>"So… do you think she'll ever be able to come out of it?" Gail asked the doctor in charge of Katlyn's case. Next to her, Doug laid a hand on her shoulder for support.<p>

The doctor sighed, "I'm sorry to say, Mrs. Giggy, that I don't think she will. In fact, I'm surprised that she actually managed to survive the three-story fall, myself. However… there have been reports of people coming out of similar comas, so who knows. Stranger things _have_ happened."

_Stranger things, indeed_ thought Gail, her mind irresistibly going back to the events of her reception. Shaking her head figuratively to clear it, she nodded as she said aloud, "Thank you, doctor."

Nodding back, he casually inquired, "So, will you be pressing charges against the man who did this to her? You do realize that if she dies within the year, it _can_ be considered murder."

"I don't know yet," Gail answered honestly. "However, I most likely will."

He nodded again. "Well, when you decide, let me know. I'll gladly be a witness for this case."

Gail was stunned by his generosity. "Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome. I'll be down the hall if there are any complications," he replied. As he left, Gail turned towards the room that held her comatose cousin. She wasn't surprised to see that her aunt and uncle weren't here- after all, they were such workaholics that they never noticed how their eldest daughter tormented their youngest. However, she was still _very_ disappointed. Walking towards the lone bed, she stared at the giant cast that contained her cousin. Her face was the only thing visible, and it ironically looked very peaceful.

"Katlyn…" she murmured softly, laying a hand on the full-body cast. The steady beeps of the attached machines was the only reply.

* * *

><p>At first, Katlyn couldn't process at just <em>who<em> were the two people standing in front of her. One was, for lack of a better description, a golden woman who looked vaguely familiar. The other was a man who looked… timeless, with a young face and white hair. Oddly enough, the longer she stared at the man, the more she felt that she _knew_ him.

"Do I… _know_ you guys?" she asked bluntly.

"Well… yes and no," answered the man, amusement filling his voice.

The woman, meanwhile, gazed back at her compassionately as she added, "You need only to look through your memories to remember who I am."

Narrowing her eyes in slight confusion, Katlyn obediently searched through her memories. Suddenly, her mind fastened on Sephiroth… and the deity he had been trying to replace.

"M-M-Minerva?" she stuttered in shock. As the newly-identified Goddess nodded, she then turned to the man. Her mind almost exploded as she realized who he was.

"Call me Father," he commented. "After all, that's what most of your religion identifies me as, anyway."

Her jaw dropped. "Um… how is this possible?" she finally asked.

"It's simple- you're in a coma back on Earth, and we brought your soul here so that we can talk," he answered.

"Talk? What would YOU want from ME?"

Chuckling, he replied, "Actually, it's not me who needs your help, but rather Minerva, here. I'm just here as a witness."

"That's right, Katlyn. I need your help with a very important matter," cut in said Goddess.

Turning towards her, Katlyn became confused. "Important matter? What do you mean?"

Minerva took a deep breath, then continued, "I need your help to resolve a problem of mine that started millennia ago. Do you recall what had happened to you during your cousin's wedding reception?"

Katlyn nodded. "I met Sephiroth, whom I had thought was originally just a character in a video game series."

"That's right. Ordinarily, all of the Worlds in the Universe remain separate from each other, and the—"

"Sorry to interrupt, Lady Minerva, but I just have one question before we continue," interrupted Katlyn. "How is it that I'm taking this so calmly? I feel like I should be freaking out more than I actually am, or at least demanding on why you never seem to do anything about our world and yaddi yaddi yadda."

"It's a built-in defense mechanism," answered Father. "After all, you're not the first to have met me, and a long time ago I got sick of people freaking out whenever I needed to talk to them. So, I tweaked the human race's DNA so that you wouldn't freak out majorly when you stand in my presence. Other Gods and Goddesses liked my idea, and followed my example."

"Wait… _other_ Gods and Goddesses? How many of them _are_ there?"

"One God or Goddess per inhabited world," answered Minerva. "Each one is given the freedom to rule their world as they see fit. They can also visit other Gods and Goddesses for whatever reason they might need… however, when they do that, they run the risk of having their worlds combining. We tend to call it a Meeting of the Worlds.

"Now, centuries ago, a God had come to me for some advice on how to handle some of his newest assistants."

"Assistants?"

"I'll answer this one," Father cut in. Turning back to Katlyn, he continued, "Whenever our charges create a new religion, the God or Goddess of that world gains a new assistant. They can do everything from simply providing meals for us to temporarily taking over our duties while we visit our fellow Gods and Goddesses."

Katlyn blinked in shock as that short statement managed to single-handedly disprove what she knew about religion. "O-kay then."

"Can I continue my story, please?" asked a slightly irritated Minerva. As Father nodded with a slight grin, she continued, "Now, as I was saying, he needed some advice. However, the very assistants he had come to ask about failed to keep a proper eye on his world, and thus did not see the warning signs of an upcoming Meeting of the Worlds. That proved to be a disaster, for one of his most notorious criminals took advantage of the Meeting and transferred herself onto my world."

"You mean Jenova," said Katlyn, realization dawning.

Minerva nodded. "That's right. You're aware of what happened next." As Katlyn nodded, she continued, "It was only through the efforts of the most powerful Cetras using the Black Materia—"

"Wait, the _Black_ Materia? The same one that summons Meteor?"

"That's right, although summoning Meteor was not its original purpose, but rather to be used as a last-minute resort. I had given it to the Cetra to use it in case of an emergency… and Jenova certainly qualified as such. Using the Black Materia, they had managed to seal Jenova inside of the Northern Crater, where they hoped that she would remain until the end of the world."

"Except for the fact that the Shinra scientists found her, and used her remains to create SOLDIERs," Katlyn mused.

"Exactly," Minerva responded. "And _that_ is what I need your help with."

"Eh?"

Minerva sighed. "I had originally come to speak to my Brother here about the Jenova problem, and how to prevent the future chaos that you know of thanks to a certain video game series. However, me coming here triggered a Meeting of the Worlds. The dreams and visions you and Sephiroth shared were the warning signs… yet somehow this turn of events gave me a solution to my problem."

Suspicious, Katlyn asked, "What do you mean?"

"You now have a connection to Sephiroth," Minerva answered simply. "In fact, the connection is one of the strongest that I've seen. Add in the fact that you are familiar with his story and _know_ how his future turns out, and yet you still wish to take a chance with him… well, let's just say that I'm willing to take a chance with _you_."

"Uh… could you clarify on what you're asking?"

"Right now, you have three choices," answered Father. "One- you can go back to your body, and live out the rest of your life on Earth. Two- you can die on Earth, and continue onto the afterlife that I oversee. Or three- you can become Minerva's champion on Gaia, and help her prevent Jenova from wrecking disaster."

"Wait, WHAT?" Katlyn all but shouted. "You want _me_ to be your champion? I can't even fight, let alone—"

"I'll be teaching you the things you would need to learn," interrupted Minerva.

Katlyn closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she asked, "Why me? Why not any of the millions of others who would be more suited to the task?"

"Because I see the possibility of a happier future for Gaia with you, while I see it with no one else," answered Minerva.

Katlyn's eyes narrowed slightly, but said nothing more about the subject. "I sense that there's some red-tape if I go with option number three," she remarked, turning to Father.

Nodding, he elaborated, "If you decide to become Minerva's champion, the only way you can do so is if you become one of her subjects. To put it simply, you'd have to leave Earth and everything in it behind."

"You mean… I'd never see any of my family again?"

"That's right. The final condition is that you cannot change your fate if you go over there," finished Father, surprisingly looking a little sad as he said this.

"Actually, Brother, there's one more condition that you forgot," commented Minerva. Turning to Katlyn, she elaborated, "The other thing you need to keep in mind is should you fail to prevent Jenova from wrecking disaster, than the WEAPONs I created _will_ fulfill their purpose, and no one will be able to stop them."

"Not even Cloud?"

"Not even Cloud."

Katlyn nodded absently as she took in the news. Suddenly, a flash of the dream she had before she woke up in this strange place flashed through her head… specifically what had happened to the female.

_Is that… what Father means by my fate?_ She wondered. Considering this idea, she could see how he would be saddened by this fact. Deciding to run with it, she then considered the ultimate question- would it be worth it if it meant saving a world? Her mind flashed back to the moment when she and Sephiroth danced, and of the feelings that had run through her during that life-changing moment. Then, it switched to the fates of Cloud, Aerith, Zack, Genesis, Angeal… and Sephiroth himself.

_Yes._

Focusing back onto Father and Minerva, she announced, "I've made my decision."

Looking hopeful, Minerva asked, "And?"

"I'd be honored to become your champion. However, before we go, I _do_ have one request."

* * *

><p>"Honey, visiting hours are almost over," said Doug, standing next to Gail.<p>

Gail sighed, then looked at her husband. "Doug, I can't just leave her…"

Eyes sympathetic, he reassured her, "I know. However, you heard what the doctor said. We'll come back tomorrow, if it makes you feel better."

Looking back at her cousin, she sighed in defeat. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

However, as he was helping her put her coat on, suddenly a weak voice called, "Wait, you two."

Gasping, Gail turned to see that Katlyn was awake. "Katlyn!" she cried softly in happiness.

Surprised but happy with the development, Doug started to rush out of the room, saying, "I'll go get the doctor and let him know—"

"No, Doug, wait." As he turned back around, Katlyn continued, "I'm not staying."

"Of course you're not, silly! As soon as the doctor says it's okay, we're taking you ho—" Gail's happiness-induced rambling was interrupted by her cousin.

"No, Gail, I mean I've only come to say good-bye," Katlyn said sadly, her eyes turning towards her beloved cousin.

Gail was at a loss for words. Next to her, Doug demanded as he walked back to the bedside, "What do you mean, 'good bye'? You're not…" he trailed off as he realized what she was trying to say.

Katlyn's eyes filled with tears as they transmitted her answer to his question. "I'm being given a chance to be with the man of my dreams," she explained, "and I'm taking it."

"Katlyn…" Gail finally said, her own eyes filling with tears. "Will I ever see you again?" As her cousin's eyes filled with sadness, she bowed her head in acceptance. "I see."

"Gail… I just wanted to let you know that you were the best god-sister anyone could ask for, and I wish that you could've been my real sister," Katlyn said solemnly. "As for Tom… do what you want with him, but don't do it for me. After all, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to do this. Instead, do it for yourself. Okay, Gail?"

Gail sniffled, then nodded. Suddenly, she threw her arms around Katlyn's neck and whispered, "Good luck with Sephiroth, Katlyn." As Katlyn's eyes filled with love, Gail drew back and said, "And Katlyn, I wish that you could've been my real sister, too."

"Damn it, Gail, now you're going to make me cry… and that was the last thing I wanted to do!" Katlyn laughed, her voice thick with unshed tears. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she suddenly winced and then uttered, "And damn it, that hurts!"

"Don't stress yourself, Katlyn," advised Doug, laying a hand on her cast-bound arm as she panted through the pain.

After a few seconds, Katlyn was able to endure the pain enough to continue. Her eyes shifting to Doug, she asked seriously, "Doug, you'll take care of Gail, right? And you'll treat her well?"

Smirking sadly, he replied, "Of course I will. You don't need to worry about that."

"Good, because I'll come back to haunt you if you don't!" she jokingly threatened. Turning serious once more, she moved her eyes back towards the ceiling. Suddenly, they narrowed with slight amusement as she said, "You know… I had always thought that if I had ever been in this position, I could think of something incredibly moving and poignant to say, like they do in the movies. However… now that it's actually happening, I can't think of anything. Isn't that funny?" Turning her gaze back towards the one person she had been closest to on this world and the man she had chosen, she finally said, "Good bye, you guys. I'll always miss you."

As her cousin's eyes closed for the last time, Gail whispered back, "Good bye, Katlyn." As the attached machines suddenly started to scream with alarms, she turned into her husband's arms and sobbed.

* * *

><p>As Minerva's champion returned to join her new Goddess and say good-bye to her old God, six souls on Gaia suddenly looked towards the direction of the sky.<p>

Zackary Fair smiled as he felt confidence fill his heart. He will _definitely_ become a hero!

Aerith Gainsborough smiled as she heard her mother's voice inside of her head. She's going to come in contact with someone soon who _will_ help her with her Cetra heritage.

Cloud Strife smiled as he turned back to the army enrollment form. He _will_ become strong like the legendary Sephiroth!

Angeal Hewley frowned slightly as he turned back to his katas. _ Hopefully_ Zack would pay attention for once during his next lesson…

Genesis Rhapsodos smirked as he turned back to his beloved book. The Gift of the Goddess shall go to _him_, not Sephiroth.

Sephiroth blinked, then turned back to his paperwork. _Why_ did he have the strangest feeling that everything he knew was about to change?

* * *

><p>AN: And so, Katlyn leaves finally leaves Earth behind. In other news, why is it that these chapters just seem to get shorter and shorter? I mean, seriously! Oh, and reviews are greatly appreciated, as always!


	9. Chapter 7

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters, though Katlyn is mine. I also don't own "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Celtic Woman

* * *

><p>"Man, it's so cold, it feels like I'm going through reverse puberty, yo!" complained the Turk's newest recruit, a loud-mouthed redhead named Reno.<p>

The rest of the party, even the scientist that they were supposed to be guarding, groaned at his outburst. Genesis felt slightly jealous that it was Reno's partner Rude who slapped him upside the head rather than himself. As the other red-head rubbed his head and complained, Genesis reminisced on the event that had ended with Lazard (regretfully) ordering him on this despicable escort mission to the Northern Crater as punishment. How was he to know that the office he had accidentally incinerated with a fireball meant for that disrespectful cadet was the new Vice-President's office? Smirking as he remembered the Shinra brat's reaction to the destroyed office, he looked over at the two infantrymen who were obviously torn between being awed by his presence (as they should be) and bored at the lack of action.

Suddenly, his attention was peaked when Reno demanded, "So, why are we here, anyway, yo?"

Sighing, the scientist (whose name they had all immediately forgot) asked, "Weren't any of you informed in your briefings?"

As everyone except Genesis (who knew better than to admit that he wasn't in the know) shook their heads no, the scientist muttered, "Imbeciles… I can't wait until I get promoted to Professor Hojo's team." Speaking louder, he continued, "We're here because a week ago one of our transmitters picked up a strange signal, and I was chosen to investigate why. The rest of you are here to protect me while I perform my tests."

"What kind of a signal?" asked Rude, saying his first words on the entire trip.

The scientist shrugged as he replied, "We're not sure."

"Hm, sounds fun," Genesis remarked sarcastically. "How long will these 'tests' of yours run?"

"They'll run until they're done," answered the scientist, giving the First Class the stink-eye.

Unfortunately for him, however, Genesis only snorted with amusement as he reached for his beloved book. He certainly wasn't going to tell the scientist that he had unknowingly made a rhyme worthy of a children's book.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" cried out Reno as he peaked over the edge of the thin pathway the group was currently on. "There's something down there, yo!"<p>

As the group looked over to see what he was looking at, Genesis' eyes widened slightly with shock. That was no ordinary monster inside of that crystal.

"It's a WEAPON," breathed the scientist.

"WEAPON? You mean those things that are said to be the guardians of Gaia?" asked one of the infantryman, whom Genesis had deduced from various conversations was called Rod.

The scientist nodded as he started to ramble, "I knew that Professor Hojo and Professor Gast discovered the WEAPONs when they first visited the Northern Crater, but to think that I would be able to lay my own eyes on one of them!" Quickly checking his instruments, he nodded as they revealed what he had expected, "All five of them are here."

Gulping, the other infantryman, a nervous fellow by the name of Nicky, quickly asked, "Do you think that they'll attack us?"

"I highly doubt it," remarked the scientist. "According to my instruments, they're deep in hibernation. We're safe for the moment."

"What about this one?" asked Rude, his voice strangely distant. The group looked up in shock to see that Rude had gone ahead of them (most likely to scout) and was staring down with a strange look on his face. Curious to see what he was talking about, they all walked over to join him.

What they saw was, in a word, shocking.

There was what appeared to be a human female curled up in a fetal position inside of a mako crystal. Thanks to the green tint of the crystal, it was difficult to see specific features and her coloration, but it was apparent that she had long, straight hair which conveniently hid details on her body structure (but didn't hide the fact that she was clothed). Her eyes were closed, and for all intents and purposes she appeared to be merely sleeping. The strangest thing about this, though, was how _close_ to the path she was. If they had wanted to, they could reach out and grab on to the crystal surrounding her.

"So, what's the verdict on this chick, yo?" asked Reno, leaning closer to the crystal.

Scoffing, the scientist quickly checked his instruments and answered, "There's no sign of life from her, so we'll leave her alone." Quickly moving his instruments around once more, he continued, "And I can't seem to find where the strange signal is coming from, and we've been all over this Crater. Let's just head back."

As they turned to leave, however, suddenly they felt a _pulse_ as the area around them suddenly glowed briefly.

"What was that?" Genesis blurted out as the scientist's instruments started to beep insistently.

Checking, the scientist answered, "Whatever it was, that is definitely the source of the strange signal!" As most of his instruments calmed down, one continued to beep in a way that oddly reminded Genesis of a beating heart. Frowning, the scientist took a glance at it… and stared with apparent shock.

Noticing this, Rude asked, "What is it?"

Saying nothing in response, the scientist turned slowly back towards the female inside of the crystal. Quickly, he glanced back and forth between his instrument and her, obviously trying to confirm something.

"I can't believe it…" he finally breathed. "It's _her_."

"What do you mean, 'It's her'?" demanded Genesis.

Spinning towards the SOLDIER, the scientist elaborated, "_She's_ the source of the strange signal! Somehow, during that pulse she started to show enough signs of life that my instruments were able to pick them up!"

Everyone's jaws dropped by various degrees as they brought their gaze back to the crystal housing the woman.

"What the heck _is_ she?" asked Rod.

Before anyone could answer, another pulse was felt by everyone. This time, Genesis was able to track the glow, and indeed it went straight to the imprisoned woman. Suddenly, a loud crack resounded through the area.

* * *

><p>"You seem to be lost in thought," remarked a familiar voice.<p>

Katlyn turned to see Minerva walking towards her. As the golden Goddess sat down next to her (she had long stopped being surprised by such casual behaviors during her stay at the Goddess' home training for her future role), she replied, "Well, I can't help but feel a little nervous about Sephiroth's reaction to me. I mean, the last time we saw each other, I was escorting Gail to the bathroom and I had _just_ found out who he was."

Minerva nodded in understanding. "I can see why you'd be nervous. Honestly, I don't think you have anything to worry about." Turning serious, she continued, "However, I wanted to let you know that the intended recipients have picked up their package."

Katlyn's eyes widened. "So, it's going to be soon?"

"Yes."

Looking up at the mako-green sky, Katlyn absorbed the implications of this- her time at the Goddess' home was coming to an end. Breathing deeply, she turned back towards Minerva as she asked, "Have I ever thanked you for all that you've done for me?"

Smiling, Minerva answered, "Not aloud, no."

"Well… thank you, Minerva, for giving me the chance to fulfill a humble fangirl's dream," she said formally, bowing her torso as far as it would go due to her sitting position. Straightening as Minerva chuckled, she added, "However, I would like to make one more request of you before I leave."

"What is this request?" Listening as Katlyn explained to her what she wanted to do, Minerva could see the sense in it. After all, she had seen how much Sephiroth had been bothered by the sudden lack of contact between himself and her new Champion, even if he didn't see it himself. "Very well," she announced, "however know that I can only give you a limited amount of time to do what you wish to do."

Katlyn smiled brilliantly as she commented, "I don't think that'll be a problem with what I have in mind."

* * *

><p>Genesis spent the first part of the helicopter ride back to Midgar splitting glances between LOVELESS and the newest passenger of the cargo hold. Seconds after they all had heard the crack, he had noticed that the woman's crystal was starting to lean forward. Impulsively, he had rushed forward and grabbed the crystal, pulling it to the safety of the path. After cross-referencing with his instruments, the scientist had concluded that slowly but surely her signs of life were growing stronger. The decision was made- they would take the crystallized woman back to Midgar where she would be surrendered to the Science Department.<p>

Finally giving up on LOVELESS for the moment, he carefully placed back in his coat as he once again brought his gaze towards the woman. There was something… almost _familiar_ about her. He couldn't quite place why he felt this way, and yet he couldn't deny the feeling.

_Who are you_, he wondered, _and why do I feel like we've met before?_

Suddenly, what had happened six weeks ago at the Ball played through his mind. He could suddenly see the mysterious Katlyn bowing in greeting, and hear her voice expressing her pleasure at meeting him. Eyes widening with a sudden realization, he quickly studied the woman's face. Sure enough, there were similarities between the two, although he couldn't be one hundred percent sure that the two were really the same woman.

"What can this mean?" he murmured softly so that no one else could hear him. Quickly fishing in his coat for his PHS, he quickly sent off an e-mail to his two friends. He smiled as he received confirmation that the e-mails had arrived at their intended destinations. Things were about to get interesting very soon…

* * *

><p>"When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high<em>," sang the voice he had been starting to doubt he'd hear again. As Sephiroth suddenly comprehended the beautiful music that was accompanying her voice, the song continued, "<em>And don't be afraid of the dark._"_

_Opening his eyes, he glanced around at his current surroundings. It seemed he currently was in a field of flowers, with rolling hills in the distance. However, looking closer at the flowers he noticed that their colors were more vibrant than any he had ever seen during the course of his military career._

"At the end of the storm is a golden sky_," came Katlyn Lune's voice from what seemed to be beyond the tallest northernmost hill, "_And the sweet silver song of the lark_."_

_Feeling no need to rush, Sephiroth started to stroll towards where he suspected Katlyn would be._

"Walk on, through the wind/ Walk on, through the rain_," she continued to sing, "_Though your dreams be tossed and blown/ Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart/ And you'll never walk alone/ You'll never walk alone._"_

_Hearing a violin start to play, he mulled over the lyrics he had heard so far. Even Genesis wouldn't be able to deny that it was a very beautiful message. Passing the first couple of hills, he could hear Katlyn start to repeat what she had sung so far. While ordinarily, he would think that it meant the artist had no originality… with this song, it fit. Finally arriving at the tallest hill, Sephiroth started to climb as the song grew more intense._

"Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart/ And you'll never walk alone_," Katlyn sang as he finally crested the top of the hill. Sephiroth could see her sitting at the bottom, staring up into the sky with a soft smile on her face._

"You'll never walk, you'll never walk alone_," she finished, turning towards him as he descended. Standing up fully to face him, the two of them took in each other's appearances. Sephiroth was mildly surprised that while her looks hadn't changed… her attitude from the little he had interacted with her at the Ball had. It seemed that the sadness that she once had was gone, replaced by acceptance._

_Finally breaking the silence between them, Katlyn greeted, "Hello, Sephiroth."_

"_Hello, Ms. Lune," he greeted back as he inclined his head. "How have you been?"_

"_Pretty good, and please, call me Katlyn. How about yourself?" she replied._

"_Well, Katlyn, I admit that I'm slightly confused as to why you're suddenly showing up now when for six weeks I haven't seen nor heard from you in both dreams and real life," he replied, his tone indicating that he wanted an answer._

_Katlyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she responded, "I don't have enough time here to answer your unspoken question, although I promise that I WILL answer it one day, along with what's going on. To be honest, I only came here to give you three pieces of important advice."_

"_Advice?" he queried._

_Nodding, she repeated, "Advice." Holding up a finger, she elaborated, "One- not everything the Science Department of Shinra says is the truth, especially when it comes to your past. If they try to claim something about you or anybody else, always be skeptical." Walking closer towards him, she placed two fingers on his forehead as she continued, "Two- if you ever hear a voice up here, don't listen to it. Even if it sounds like a close friend, or even me, do not do as it says. No matter what, you MUST ignore it." As his eyebrows came together in confusion, Katlyn removed her hand, stepped back as she raised a third finger, and finished, "Finally, three- always have faith in your friends."_

"_Have faith… in my friends? What do you mean?"_

_As a corner of her mouth quirked upwards, she replied, "I mean that even if it seems like your friends have abandoned or betrayed you, you shouldn't automatically assume so. Chances are, they had a good reason behind their actions, and you should try to learn what that reason is."_

"_I see… and what about you?"_

_Cocking her head in confusion, Katlyn inquired, "What about me?"_

"_Should I consider you a friend?" he replied._

_Straightening her head and smiling, she answered, "That is something you have to decide for yourself." Suddenly, she turned her head slightly, as if she was listening to someone standing behind her. Turning back, she added, "Just know that we'll see each other again, and sooner than you may think. Oh, and you should definitely check out that message."_

"_What message?" he demanded. Before she could answer, the world around him suddenly disappeared._

* * *

><p>Sephiroth awoke and bolted straight up into a sitting position, wondering what had interrupted his dream conversation. The culprit was revealed to be the PHS on his dresser across the room, which was lit up in the way that it had just received something. Figuring it was the beep that woke him, he got out of bed and flipped it open. Sure enough, as Katlyn had said, there was an e-mail waiting for him. Opening it, he read:<p>

_S, A- It's a good thing that our monthly visit to Hell is tomorrow, because you won't believe what we just picked up from the crater… especially you, S.  
>-Genesis<em>

As he closed his PHS, Sephiroth smirked with amusement. Connecting the dots between Katlyn's comments and Genesis' e-mail, he was DEFINITELY looking forward to his visit with Hojo for perhaps the only time in his entire life.

* * *

><p>AN: FINALLY I updated this! I mean, I had probably written about three versions of this chapter before I finally came up with this version... in other news, there is now a cover for this story! Go over to my dA page and look in my Favorites in the 'Katlyn- Dancing Against the Seven Destinies' folder to see it.


	10. Chapter 8

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, though Katlyn is mine.

* * *

><p>"What do we have here?" inquired Hojo, circling the latest addition to his lab.<p>

The scientist who had delivered the crystal-encased woman answered, "During my trip to investigate the strange signal that had been affecting all of our experiments, a Turk by the name of Rude discovered her deep in the crater. At first, I had dismissed her, however circumstances revealed that _she_ was the source of the signal."

"Circumstances?"

Shifting from foot to foot with nervousness, the young scientist explained the strange phenomenon that had happened at the Crater… including her proximity to the WEAPONs. As the tale was told, Hojo's face expressed more and more interest.

"So… what you're saying is that as time goes on, she shows stronger signs of life?" he clarified when the younger scientist finished. When the nod of confirmation came, Hojo almost cackled with sadistic glee. Glancing back at the one who delivered such a fine specimen, he queried, "Have you thought about your future here at the Science Department?"

"Well… I had actually hoped to become a member of your team one day," came the eager admission.

Pleased at this response, Hojo commented, "Well, then today's the day then, isn't it? Of course, we'd have to go through the necessary paperwork… but you can consider yourself promoted." As the other scientist's eyes gleamed with shock and excitement, Hojo continued, "After all, this is the first time that a mako _egg_has been discovered."

"Mako… egg?"

"Yes, I believe that calling this an egg would be an accurate description," Hojo mused. "After all, she's in a protective shell as she grows more and more alive… similar to that of traditional eggs." Turning towards the rest of his team, he called out for as many tools as they could find. Turning back towards the woman, the sadistic scientist's eyes gleamed with excitement. He couldn't _wait_ to get his hands on her cells to see what potential wonders they held…

However, in his excitement, he didn't notice the mako's glow slowly becoming brighter.

* * *

><p>It was time. Soon, Katlyn would be leaving the Goddess' home for good.<p>

"Katlyn Grace Lune," Minerva intoned formally, her assistants flanking her sides as she addressed her kneeling champion. "Today is the day you set out on your journey to fulfill my will. What is your task?"

"I must prevent Jenova from accomplishing her desires through any means necessary," Katlyn replied, following the ritual that Leviathan and Shiva both taught her.

"And how will you do so?"

"By focusing my attention on those who were most affected by her desires: Sephiroth Crescent, Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley, Zackary Fair, Aerith Gainsborough, and Cloud Strife. In addition, I will also focus on reducing Shinra's reliance of mako in order to allow Gaia to finally heal, and end Shinra's reliance on the man who has willingly become Jenova's pawn: Professor Hojo."

"And what are the consequences if you should fail?"

"The WEAPONs that were created when Jenova came to Gaia will awaken once more, and fulfill their duty. In addition, my soul shall go into oblivion as retribution for those whom I could not save." Katlyn was surprised when she had heard this aspect of the ritual, for whenever she and Minerva had talked about her mission the Goddess had never once mentioned it. However, when Leviathan explained the reasoning behind it, Katlyn could see the point of having her soul obliterated if she should fail. After all, it would be the only fitting punishment for allowing millions of people to die such a horrible death.

"Then, stand up, my champion, and accept my Gifts." As she did so, Katlyn finally looked into Minerva's eyes for the first time since the ritual began. Though her face was impassive, there was no denying the smile reflected in those brilliant orbs. Closing her own eyes, Katlyn could feel the strength that was only granted to her during training sessions finally become a permanent part of her. When she felt it stop, Katlyn opened her eyes once more.

As she held out the final things that she would grant to Katlyn until the Materia that gave her a portal to Gaia would be activated, Minerva stated, "Know this, Katlyn: even though to you it seems like several years have passed, to Sephiroth and the others who know of your existence it has only been six weeks since the Ball."

Unsure if replying would break the necessary ritual, Katlyn only nodded.

"Then the ritual is complete. Now, the transfer of your soul into your new body shall begin!" rang out Minerva's voice. As everyone else cheered, she said softly to Katlyn, "Well done."

"Thanks," replied her champion, grinning. Sobering, she asked, "So… how long will it take for me for my soul to fully transfer?"

Shrugging, the Goddess replied, "It varies. However, it normally doesn't take longer than five minutes."

"Ah." Falling silent, Katlyn mulled over what she may find once she arrived on Gaia. Without a doubt, the crystal containing her body would've been delivered to the Science Department… which meant that there was a high possibility of Hojo wanting his greedy little mitts on her cells. Damn it… "I'm going to have to fight right from the get-go, aren't I?"

"Probably," came the amused answer.

Katlyn purposefully slumped over as she gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, there went my plan to sneak out of Shinra…"

"Pfft, you know it wouldn't have happened anyway," commented Ifrit, who surprisingly had become good friends with Katlyn during her stay. Although, you wouldn't have thought it from when the two of them first met…

"Oh, just shut up," came the good natured retort. "So… any bets on whether or not Sephiroth'll see me before I make my dramatic exit?"

"I'll take you up on that!" called out Ramuh, raising his staff in the air. "I bet he'll just miss you," he predicted.

"No way, he'll definitely be there!" came Typhoon's response.

As the two started to bicker (with Odin and Leviathan looking on disapprovingly) Katlyn suddenly felt a tug in her gut. Looking down, she was startled to see that she was becoming transparent… which, oddly enough, was _not_ something you saw every day in a Goddess' household.

"It's happening!" trilled an excited Phoenix. The rest of the assistants turned to see the phenomenon happening for themselves.

Katlyn fought the tears as she felt herself being pulled elsewhere, for it struck her in that moment that it was unlikely that she would ever see this place again. Seeing this, Ifirit demanded, "Now, don't wait too long to summon us, okay? We get bored on this end!"

Giggling at this obvious attempt to cheer her up, Katlyn made sure to promise to do so. Suddenly, the leader of the Knights of the Round (Katlyn _still_ wasn't sure what any of their names were- they always changed the subject whenever it was brought up… and when she asked Minerva, the Goddess was amused enough to continue their game) intoned, "We gave your body an additional gift besides the clothes and materia… make sure you check your left front pocket to find it."

As darkness filled her vision, Katlyn called out, "Will do! And thanks, guys, for everything!"

A chorus of voices replying, "Good luck!" was the last thing she heard before she disappeared completely.

* * *

><p>"Professor, look at the egg! I think it's about to hatch!"<p>

Hojo, drill in hand, turned at that cry. His eyes widened as he saw that the mako egg was glowing brighter and brighter by the second. This… had been entirely unexpected.

Noticing several other people just standing around watching, he barked out, "Don't just stand there! Take readings, set cameras to record this, and write down any observations you see! Are you all scientists, or not?"

As they scattered, Hojo made sure to grab some syringes. After all, most hatchlings are very confused when they first break through their protective covering, which would be the perfect time for him to collect some samples. After that… well, he'll surely think of something.

When a cracking noise was heard, he turned back around and immediately shielded his eyes. The light was almost blinding. When he had adjusted, he could see deep cracks surrounding the egg.

Suddenly, without warning, the egg exploded with a brilliant burst of golden light.

* * *

><p>"So, Genesis, what were you talking about in your e-mail?" finally inquired Angeal as the three Firsts arrived into the elevator. As he pressed the button for the Science Department floor, he was slightly surprised to see Sephiroth looking interested in the conversation.<p>

Genesis, gleeful that one of them finally asked, explained, "Well, as the two of you may recall, I was stuck with a stupid escort mission to the Northern Crater. Well, what should we find but a woman encased in mako!"

Sephiroth turned towards him at that. "Impossible."

"Nothing but the truth," Genesis smirked. "What's more, guess who she reminded me of."

Angeal, having been friends with the man for so long, knew that the redhead would drag out the anticipation for as long as he could. "Genesis…" he started warningly.

"She reminded you of Katlyn Lune, didn't she?" interrupted Sephiroth, his eyes widening.

Genesis, slightly irritated that his thunder was stolen, struggled to not grit his teeth as he nodded.

However, his irritation was put to the side when he heard Sephiroth whisper, "Is that was she meant…?"

Angeal, having also heard the whisper, inquired, "Sephiroth… did you have another dream with her?"

As the elevator door opened, the Silver General nodded.

Genesis' irritation was completely gone upon seeing the nod. After all, hearing about Sephiroth's dreams were _definitely_ more worthwhile. "What happened in it?"

As the three of them walked towards the seventh layer of Hell- er, rather, the Science Department, Sephiroth (having been by now used to explaining his dreams to his friends) answered, "She simply gave me three pieces of advice, then mentioned that we'd be seeing each other sooner than I may think."

Before the two Banorans could ask more, however, an explosion was suddenly heard.

* * *

><p>Katlyn felt herself fall to her knees. She couldn't believe how hard it had been to escape the mako… she had to go into the first stage of her Champion mode to finally break herself free. Which, as she glanced at her surroundings from underneath her hair, was probably a good thing… after all, that meant that Hojo wouldn't get a chance to see what she <em>really<em> looked like.

Speaking of Hojo… she was horrified to hear his voice comment, "Well, this is unprecedented…" Looking towards the slimy bastard, she saw him coming closer with a syringe at the ready in his left hand.

At this, she summoned her sword and uttered the first words that Minerva's Champion would ever speak on Gaia… "AW, _HELL_ NO!"

* * *

><p>Sephiroth started at the roar that came from the Science Department. That voice sounded familiar! Quickly outdistancing his friends, as he approached the innocent-looking door that was the doorway to many men's living nightmares. Hearing fighting going on beyond it, he quickly summoned Masamune and kicked it open.<p>

What he found was chaos. Scientists left and right were running, while a golden blur in the center of the room Hojo at bay. Sephiroth was amused, for while the scientist was surprisingly strong from constantly wrestling unwilling specimens onto his lab tables, it was obvious that his latest target would not go down so easily if the way that Hojo kept dodging its blows were any indication.

Sephiroth felt the temptation to let the good doctor suffer at the hands of what had been no doubt his next specimen. However, if he didn't help out the madman and the specimen was defeated Hojo would no doubt make his lab visits extra painful… reluctantly, he stepped up and blocked the blade that had been headed for Hojo. The room stilled, and Sephiroth could finally see what, or rather _who_ had caused such chaos.

The first thing he noticed was the sword. While he could feel the solid edge of it pressing against the much longer Masamune, the blade itself appeared to be made of pure light. Second, the golden armor of an unfamiliar design, which was also glowing. If he was a betting man, the armor was _much _stronger than its flimsy appearance suggested. Finally, he saw the person's face… and was stunned. While her hair shone with golden light, her eyes were unmistakable. It couldn't be…

"Sephiroth?" whispered Katlyn Lune with shock.

* * *

><p>"HA! Pay up!" shouted Typhoon gleefully.<p>

As he dug into his pocket for Materia, Ramuh grumbled his displeasure.

* * *

><p>AN: Yeah, not so happy with the ending... however, anything else I came up with was worse, so I'll just leave it.


	11. Chapter 9

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, though Katlyn is mine.

* * *

><p>The Heir of Jenova and the Champion of Minerva stared at each other, oblivious to the once-again chaotic lab surrounding them.<p>

"Katlyn," Sephiroth murmured, "so this is what you meant when you mentioned that we'd be seeing each other soon."

Smirking, Katlyn responded just as quietly, "Actually, Sephiroth, this wasn't _quite_ what I had planned…" Before she had a chance to elaborate, however, at that moment the two other First Classes rushed into the room. They both stopped dead at the sight of her and Sephiroth locking blades.

"By the Goddess…" Genesis breathed, amazed to see that the mako-encased woman was indeed none other than the infamous Katlyn Lune… who somehow looked like she was wearing the Goddess' own armor. Angeal was too stunned to say anything, his mouth simply hanging open in a way that was usually only seen whenever Zack did something that was beyond the means of an ordinary man's comprehension (like the time he had pretended to fall asleep during a mission to Wutai and had actually managed to fool some of the enemy soldiers).

Katlyn, hearing Genesis, looked over at the two others and smiled as she exclaimed, "Well, hey, look who it is! Wasn't expecting to see you two here!" As she spoke, Sephiroth could suddenly hear an odd tone in her voice, as if it echoed slightly. Musing, he figured it was probably to prevent people from recognizing her simply based on her voice.

"How interesting…" Hojo's slimy voice mused, reminding Katlyn and Sephiroth of her current situation. "It seems the specimen has some knowledge of the members of-"

"Oh, I don't think so, Hojo," she snarled as she looked towards the awful man, interrupting whatever he was about to say. "I am NOT going to become one of your specimens!"

"What makes you think you have a choice?" he inquired, his glasses glinting as he adjusted them slightly revealing a look in his eyes that Katlyn knew meant that he was fascinated by her.

Smirking, she replied, "Because I have many things I need to do, you see, and becoming a specimen of the Shinra Science Department is just not one of them." Turning back to the man who had locked blades with her, she softly apologized, "Sorry about this."

Sephiroth was stunned speechless as she pushed her blade against his. In his shock at seeing her, he had apparently let his guard down enough that she was able to push him back easily. No one had ever managed to do that to him before… he remained stunned for a full five seconds as she turned away from him and started to rush for the door.

"AFTER HER!" roared Hojo, jolting the three Firsts back into action. As the two Banorans drew their swords, Katlyn raised her right arm to reveal a bracer filled with three materia- one red, one yellow, and one green. Despite the familiarity of the colors, everyone who saw them instinctively knew that they were no ordinary materia.

"Sorry, you guys!" she shouted as she activated what seemed to be an Aero spell. The whirlwind of air that radiated from her was powerful enough to blast Angeal and Genesis aside as they raised their arms to prevent themselves from being thrown to the ground. Once the path to the door was clear, she dashed towards it just as Sephiroth had reached out to grab her.

Sephiroth cursed under his breath. She was _fast_.

Rushing after her, he could feel Genesis and Angeal joining him. Arriving at the door, by an unspoken agreement Genesis went through first, followed by Sephiroth, then finally Angeal.

At first, Sephiroth couldn't see what had caused the red-head to suddenly burst out, "The hell?" However, when he took a step to the left, he saw it- Katlyn's sword was swiping through the windows opposite the door to the Science Department, shattering them completely. He watched, fascinated, as the farther away from Katlyn's body the point of the blade moved the longer the sword suddenly _grew_. By the time it was finished, he guessed that it was as long as his own Masamune.

Once she was done demolishing the windows, her sword shrank back to the size that it originally was, then the light faded to reveal the thin metal blade underneath the glow, a blade that anyone with basic knowledge of blades would recognize as a work of art. Quickly sheathing it, she rushed towards the hole and climbed onto the windowsill.

Pausing, she turned her head back towards the three friends, who were standing there with various degrees of shock. "When it's safe for me to contact you guys again, I'll make sure to do so," she said. "Unfortunately, however, I must leave you guys now." She then jumped.

"Katlyn, NO!" shouted Angeal, he and the others rushing towards the destroyed windows. Leaning as far as they dared over the edge (there were still shards of broken glass sticking up from the bottom, after all), the trio watched as she fell story after story. Just before it seemed she would hit the ground, however, suddenly a large white wing erupted from her left shoulder.

"How is she flying with only _one_ wing?" asked Genesis as the gorgeous appendage carried her up and away from Shinra Tower. Angeal only shrugged his own confusion as Sephiroth stared at the golden figure that was flying away over the buildings of Midgar.

Behind them, Hojo was almost shouting into the phone as he demanded the return of the newly dubbed Specimen K.

* * *

><p>Katlyn had been flying for about three minutes when she heard it- the unmistakable sound of a helicopter's blades. Cursing, she with an ease that came from countless flying lessons (which also included lessons where Minerva and her assistants tried to 'kill' her while in flight- Bahamut in particular was <em>deadly<em>) glanced over her right shoulder to see two helicopters gaining onto her position. While she didn't recognize anyone in one of them, an unmistakable shock of red hair in the other clued her in as to the identity of her pursuers.

"Figures he'd send the Turks…" she muttered, shaking her head as she unsheathed Muramasa in preparation for whatever attacks they decided to use against her. Hopefully, they were only ordered to take her alive…

That hope was dashed when a missile from the helicopter not piloted by Reno was shot at her. She took great pleasure in firing a Fire at it, forcing it to prematurely detonate while safely over the people of Midgar. Briefly she regretted the fact that she couldn't extend Muramasa to its furthest reaches, but she quickly shrugged it off- after all, each stage of her Champion mode came with a price. Every one of her wings required a certain amount of energy to appear, and it was that same energy that powered Muramasa's capability to extend beyond the reaches of the metal it was forged from.

Quickly deciding on a course of action, she quickly focused her mind to activate the third stage. As the second wing erupted from her right shoulder, she shot up and over the helicopters. Grinning as she half-heard Reno's curses over her increase in speed, she positioned herself over the helicopter that had fired at her. A well-placed Thunder soon had the pilot quickly forcing the copter to descend or else condemn everyone on board to certain death.

_Now, to take care of Reno's copter… if he's as good of a pilot now as he was when he was first introduced in the games, then this shall be interesting,_ Katlyn thought to herself. Suddenly, she grinned as an idea inspired by a certain cereal-bearing leprechaun back on Earth popped into her head.

_ I almost kinda want to repeat his catchphrase_, she mused as she flew under and back in front of the copter. _Too bad, though, no one here will get the joke._

For several minutes, Katlyn managed to purposefully keep herself just out of reach, using either her materia or Muramasa whenever a net or something similar was shot at her. As they flew, Katlyn was pleased to see that Reno, while not quite as good as he would be, was still very skilled at piloting his craft. Unbeknownst to the Turks, however, she was slowly but surely leading them towards the very edge of the plate. When she spotted her target, she slowly started to increase her speed.

Having spotted this, Reno's copter proceeded to launch something Katlyn hadn't realized was possible- nets with tiny guided missle-like robots.

_Oh, how clever! Too bad they won't work, though_, she thought as she finally reached the edge of the plate- and promptly dived straight down. She could almost hear Reno cursing as the nets flew right over her. Laughing despite the situation, she let herself go back to the second stage.

Her plan was simple- use her remaining wing to slow herself enough so that she could safely grab the bottom of the plate, then flip herself so that she would lay flat against it. It would hurt, sure… but when she finally exited her Champion mode, it would be very difficult for Reno and the others to find her amongst the piping and other nooks and crannies that she could vaguely remember from the games. Once they gave up, she could then safely descend to the ground.

She narrowed her eyes in concentration. As the edge came closer and closer, she once again sheathed her blade.

_I hope this works!_

A grab, a muffled curse, and a flip later, Katlyn's remaining wing disappeared as she squeezed into the crevice between the pipe that luckily was nearby and the plate itself. Breath shortening due to lack of space, she quickly allowed her Champion mode to fall away. The golden glow that had surrounded her faded, and since at that moment she had no need of it Muramasa dissipated back to the same armory where her armor and the weapons and armor of Minerva's assistants resided when not in use.

Hearing the sound of helicopter blades, she quickly grabbed as much of her hair as she could and shoved it down her shirt. It would suck if she was caught thanks to errant strands of hair hanging down… and no sooner did she do that then Reno's helicopter descended below the plate.

As it paused right under her hiding place (Katlyn felt a surge of adrenaline at that, for if she were to slip she'd be shredded on those blades), she could hear Reno yelling, "Shit! Where'd she go, yo?" She felt a surge of admiration for the redheaded Turk- he had an impressive set of lungs if she could hear him over the helicopter while she wasn't in Champion mode.

After a few moments, which the hidden Katlyn assumed that the Turks were discussing what they should do now that she had seemingly disappeared, the copter flew back the way it came. Waiting until she could hear the helicopter no more, she stayed in her hiding spot for ten more minutes. Finally, when it seemed that no one else would be after her for now, she squeezed back out and once again entered the second stage of her Champion mode. Carefully, she flew back down towards an area of the slums she could see had no living beings in.

Once she landed, she allowed herself to return to normal, then glanced down at herself for the first time since she had arrived on Gaia.

She was wearing a navy sleeveless turtleneck with matching fingerless gloves that only connected on each of her middle fingers and went all the way up to the middle of her biceps. As she tested the gloves, she could feel the small bracelet that contained the three Ultimate materia that Minerva had granted her hugging her wrist underneath the right one. Her pants were dark jeans, with two pockets that were made of the same material as her shirt sewn on the outside and anchored at the bottom by leather straps. A leather belt secured them, and as she looked closer she discovered that the circular silver buckle had a single wing engraved on it. Snorting, she knew that it was more than likely Ifrit who had a hand in the design (with the excuse that he wanted to remind her that she wasn't the ONLY human on Gaia who would be able to fly). Briefly admiring the comfortable black boots that adorned her feet, she then continued her inspection of herself. Minerva had told her that the Mark of the Champion would be somewhere on her body, and she was curious as to what it would look like.

Her search paid off when she saw what was visible of her left arm. Adorning it was a tattoo of a Banora White apple- more commonly known as the Dumbapple. She raised an admiring brow at how beautiful it looked and the intricacy of the details- she could see the tiny veins in one of the two leaves sticking out from the stem.

_Let's see, what should I tell people who get curious about it?_ she thought momentarily, but then a realization came up and slapped her in the face- more than likely people would assume that she was a die-hard Genesis fangirl. For once, the old adage of 'assuming makes an ass out of you and me' would work to her advantage.

Sighing at that, but resolving to use it nonetheless, she took the first steps towards her destiny… by making her way to a certain church.

* * *

><p>"Attention, citizens of Midgar," came the voice on the radio. "President Shinra has revealed that a dangerous humanoid monster has escaped from the labs today. According to our spokesperson, this monster had originally been encased in Mako, and due to undisclosed circumstances had been brought to the Shinra Science Department for study. Unverified reports indicate that this creature had, upon breaking free of its mako prison, proceeded to cause an undetermined amount of destruction before breaking a window and flying away. Not much is known of its abilities, however its appearance…"<p>

Katlyn snorted as she walked by the radio that had been previously been providing music to the shop that she recalled from the games as the one where Zack had bought Aerith her infamous ribbon, shaking her head as heard the clueless radio announcer continue her report on the partially true events. While it _was_ a surprise that the President, who normally was tight-lipped when it came to the Science Department (with good reason- after all, if anyone found out about Sephiroth's past alone he would more than likely be headed to jail), had deigned to offer this false warning about her, she knew that it more than likely wouldn't have happened unless Hojo had given an offer he would've been intrigued by. More than likely, it would probably have something to do with Sephiroth… maybe by seeing if her cells would make him stronger or something.

Actually, that reminded her… finding a secluded corner, she quickly looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to her and was relieved to see that nobody was. Sticking her hand in her left front pocket, she quickly found a short object sitting in there. Curious as to what the gift from Minerva's assistants would be, she carefully pulled it out. Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion. It looked like… an iPod?

"What the…" she muttered, quickly finding the power button and pressing it. As the opening chimes played and she poked around with the device's features, Katlyn's eyes widened slightly. Not only did it have the capability to play music (with an impressive library stored up already, sorted by whether the songs were from Earth, from Gaia, or from both), it had the ability to give her the map of whichever location she may be, similar to the maps found in the games.

"Nice…" she whispered when she found the map to the Sector Five slums. It was incredibly detailed, and styled so that even a child could understand. Resolving to play with it some more later, she placed it back in her pocket and sent a silent message of thanks to the ones who had gifted it to her. She knew they got the message when she felt the Ultimate Summon materia flare slightly.

Leaving the secluded corner and walking once more to the door that separated the market from the rest of the Sector Five slums, she wondered what Aerith's reaction would be to her. Her musing was cut short when she arrived at her destination.

Quickly finding the man in charge of opening the gate, she called out, "Excuse me, sir?"

Turning, the man replied, "Yeah?"

"Could you please open the gate?"

As he nodded and pressed the button, he warned, "Be careful- monsters have been sighted nearby."

Smiling at his concern, she responded, "I will." Turning serious, she continued, "By the way, can you tell me the directions to Aerith's Church? I heard she's the person to go to if you want flowers."

"Aerith's Church? Yeah, just turn left the first chance you get, then keep going until you're almost at the end. You can't miss it!" he answered.

Waving, Katlyn called back as she walked through the gate, "Thank you!"

"No problem!"

Following the man's directions, she soon spotted her destination. Unfortunately, however, she couldn't tell if the Cetra was inside or not.

Shrugging her shoulders, she had started to walk up the steps when a male voice called out, "Excuse me, miss."

Spinning around, Katlyn was hard pressed to contain her surprise. The voice had belonged to none than Tseng of the Turks.

_Oh shit._

* * *

><p><em><em>A/N: Oh, the irony of having _Genesis_ wonder how she could fly with only one wing... I just couldn't resist that one...


	12. Chapter 10

__*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, though Katlyn is mine.

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><p><em>Don't freak out don't freak out don't freak out…<em>

Taking heed to the panicked mantra continually played in her head, Katlyn schooled her face to show only curiosity rather than the dread she felt at the Turks potentially already finding her out as she asked, "Yes?"

As the future leader of the Turks adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves, Tseng responded, "May I have a moment of your time? I just want to ask a few questions."

_THAT doesn't sound good. _ "Sure, I guess. What did you want to know?" Katlyn replied, shrugging her shoulders. She once again sent a word of thanks to Minerva's assistants for forcing her to go through all those acting lessons, including the ones on how to lie. Otherwise, she knew she would've been totally screwed, and not in a good way.

"Have you listened to the radio lately?"

Well, she could thankfully answer this one honestly… "Not really. I mean, I've heard a glimpse of it on my way here, but other than that I haven't heard anything. Why, is there something I should know?"

Tseng's face remained impenetrable as he answered, "There is a dangerous monster on the loose that has escaped from Shinra labs."

"Well, that sounds kinda irresponsible of Shinra, don't you think?" Katlyn quipped. "I mean, allowing a dangerous creature to escape! From what I've heard, Shinra has some of the best security on the planet, so shouldn't they be equipped to deal with such monsters?"

Okay, maybe it wasn't the best idea to put Shinra down like that if the narrowing of his eyes was any indication. "This monster is… rather unique. It's humanoid in form."

Cocking her head curiously, Katlyn merely said, "Oh?"

"Indeed… reports claim that this monster looks alarmingly like a human female," Tseng explained, piquing Katlyn's curiosity. Why would Tseng, a perfect example of a Turk, be telling her this information?

However, all she said was, "Really? That's kinda freaky…"

Nodding in agreement, Tseng continued, "Indeed. In addition, we have reason to believe that this monster acts exactly like a human would, as well, and may try to blend in with the populace."

_Well, duh. I AM a human, Tseng, albeit enhanced as much as Sephiroth, so why wouldn't I act like one?_ she thought amusedly. However, her inner amusement faded quickly when she saw the look in the Turk's eyes.

The message she saw in them was clear- she was suspected of being their 'monster'. Looking objectively, she could see his point- shortly after this monster escapes, suddenly a strange female comes walking up to the doors of the place where the last Cetra is found more often than not. If she was in his shoes, she DEFINITELY would be suspicious.

Not to mention that his suspicion was right, after all. However, it would be disastrous for her plans if he were to find out _now_. Better to play ignorant and reveal it to him when the time was right…

It was a clear warning, and Katlyn fully intended to heed it.

"Really? Well, if I see anything weird I'll be sure to tell you, um…" she responded, faking ignorance as to his name.

The suspicion in his eyes was removed (although Katlyn was sure it was still there- he was merely hiding it for now) as he supplied, "Tseng."

"Tseng? Isn't that Wutaian?" she asked as she cocked her head slightly. Might as well have one of the questions she always had about him answered while she was talking to the man…

Blinking, as if he hadn't expected that response, the man in question finally replied, "Yes, it is. However, if you have any doubts as to my loyalty to Shinra…"

"No, no, I'm sure you're quite loyal," Katlyn quickly reassured him. "After all, I highly doubt that Shinra would hire a Wutaian spy to become a Turk!"

Silence suddenly reigned supreme. Too late, Katlyn realized her mistake at revealing her knowledge of him being a Turk.

Tseng's eyes narrowed dangerously with intense focus.

_Oops._

"And how did you know I am a member of the Turks?" asked Tseng with velvet-lined steel.

"Um…" Katlyn started, her mind racing to come up with a believable excuse. "Your suit?" she blurted out.

Looking rather like a cat that had been bopped on the nose, Tseng's head reared back slightly as his eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "My suit?"

Seizing the opportunity, Katlyn used her game knowledge and elaborated, "Yes, your suit. Someone once told me that members of the Turks always wore suits, and the fact that you're in the slums tells me that it's highly doubtful you're a businessman. Considering that you don't have thugs hounding you at this moment, not to mention the fact that you asked me questions that were Shinra related, this lead me to assume you're a Turk!"

Looking slightly doubtful, Tseng inquired, "And… who was it that told you about the Turks?"

"It was someone who had once worked for Shinra that I had worked with briefly, although they didn't give me details on why they weren't with Shinra anymore," Katlyn bull-shitted. "Oh, what was her name…" She pretended to think for several moments, as if she was truly trying to think of a name, while she carefully watched Tseng's reaction. _So far, so good_, she thought to herself as he seemed to relax slightly. Finally, she continued, "Well, damn, I can't remember her name right now."

Tseng stared at her for several moments, causing Katlyn to fight hard not to fidget under his gaze. Finally, he spoke, "If you remember her name, will you let me know?"

Internally wiping her brow with relief, Katlyn agreed, "Sure, I'll tell you if I remember."

"Now… can I ask—" Tseng started to ask, however at that moment the Church doors opened.

"Hello? I heard voices…" called out Aerith lightly, poking her head out. Seeing the two standing out on her steps, she exclaimed, "OH! I didn't realize that I'd be having guests today! Who's your companion, Tseng?"

Turning towards the green-eyed Cetra, Tseng answered, "I'm not going to be staying long, and I was just about to ask this young lady what her name was, as well."

As she turned towards Aerith herself, Katlyn volunteered the name that she and Minerva had chosen to be her alias while she stayed on Gaia. "Call me Grace Lunaria."

When her green eyes met Katlyn's brown ones, both women immediately felt the _zing_ that coursed through their bodies. Aerith's eyes widened slightly as Katlyn smirked a tiny knowing smirk.

* * *

><p>Aerith stared at the strange woman. She could hear the Planet itself urging her to trust this stranger, allow her to become a friend. Confused, the Cetra wondered just <em>who<em> this Grace Lunaria was that even the Planet (who ordinarily didn't offer opinions, unless it was about General Sephiroth for some odd reason) liked.

"Are you Aerith?" asked said stranger.

"Um… yes?" replied Aerith hesitantly as Tseng turned his attention once more towards the stranger.

Grace's shoulders sagged slightly as she breathed, "Oh, thank goodness." Louder, she continued, "I'm new to Midgar, and I heard throughout the slums that you were the person to see about flowers?"

"Where were you from originally?" Tseng demanded.

Shrugging, Grace answered, "Junon." Aerith, however, had a strange suspicion that it was a lie.

Tseng, apparently, had the same idea if the slight narrowing of his eyes was any indication. Normal people probably wouldn't notice, Aerith mused briefly, however having known him for a while now she could tell whenever it happened.

However, he made no mention that he suspected anything. Instead, he simply looked back towards the Cetra and began, "Aerith, if you need anything…"

"I'll let you know," Aerith finished. Giving him a significant glance, she added, "However, I don't think it'd be necessary."

The Turk's brows raised slightly in surprise at this, for it wasn't often that she implied that she had used the gifts inherent with her Cetra ancestry. Even more surprising- it wasn't a warning like the other previous situations had been. Inclining his head in first her, than Grace's direction, he finally said, "Ladies."

The two women watched as the Turk walked away. Once he was out of sight, Aerith immediately turned towards Grace and demanded lightly, "Now… just who or what are you?"

"That is a long and complicated answer," came the reply. "However, can we continue this discussion inside? The fewer people who hear this story right now, the better."

* * *

><p>Katlyn looked around in awe as Aerith led her to the inside of her famous church. It looked almost exactly the same as it did in the games and the movie… minus the hole in the ceiling from when first Zack, then Cloud fell through. The same pews that were eventually destroyed by Tifa and Loz in their battle, the same destroyed altar, and in the area between the altar and the pews…<p>

Kneeling, she lightly brushed a finger along the edge of a white petal. Katlyn wasn't sure what flower it was, but if she had to hazard a guess she would say a lily. As she did so, she looked at all of the other flowers occupying the little patch of life. The effect was simple, yet pretty… a perfect garden for the last Cetra.

"So… who are you really, and what do you want?" Aerith repeated.

Taking a deep breath, the Champion turned and stood as she answered, "My real name is Katlyn Lune, and I've come to ask if I can stay with you for a couple days, amongst other things."

Blinking with surprise, Aerith gave Katlyn a questioning look. "Other things?"

"Listen to your mother, daughter of Ilfana. She'll tell you what I mean," Katlyn responded, amusement coloring her voice.

The green-eyed woman gasped loudly at the mention of her true mother's name (which was understandable to Katlyn, considering that very few people even had the knowledge that the woman Aerith lived with wasn't her true mother… most of whom were Turks). Closing her eyes, Katlyn could faintly hear the Cetra connecting to the Lifestream. Although she could focus her energy more to clearly hear the conversation, the Champion allowed Aerith her privacy.

Suddenly, Aerith's eyes popped back open. "_You're_ the one who's supposed to help me with my Cetra heritage?" she asked with amazement in her voice. As Katlyn smiled and nodded, she continued, "Are you a Cetra yourself, then? I thought I was the last one…"

"And technically you are still the last Cetra," Katlyn replied. "What _I_ am is the complicated part that I mentioned earlier."

"So… what _are_ you, then?"

Walking over to one of the pews, Katlyn sat down as she began to explain, "The short answer is that I am the Goddess' Champion, here to prevent the Calamity from causing more chaos than she already has."

The Cetra's spine stiffened at the mention of the being that had decimated her race so long ago. "The Calamity… the Planet has mentioned that title several times, especially when General Sephiroth is nearby."

Katlyn sighed, "Yes, well unfortunately Sephiroth, along with all of the other First Class SOLDIERs, have the Calamity's cells inside of them thanks to that bastard Hojo. Sephiroth has a LOT more cells in him, though, which is why the Planet is much more leery of him than the others. He has the potential to truly become the Second Calamity if Jenova has her way. Thankfully, though, Lady Minerva has granted me the opportunity, the tools, and the skills to prevent this."

Aerith opened her mouth to ask more questions, however Katlyn raised a hand to forestall them as she commented, "However, that is a topic for another time. The important thing right now is that I have been trained in many of the skills of the Cetra, and now I'm here to pass them on to you in order to give you the best shot at reviving the Cetra race that I can give."

Aerith's eyes lit up with excitement at this. No more will she have to try and muddle her way through the abilities granted to her via her mother… "What kind of skills?"

Smiling, Katlyn explained, "First, we'll develop the skills you already have, namely the ability to speak to those within the Lifestream and the Planet itself. Then, we'll work on how to properly use that White Materia that's hiding in your hair."

From the way her fists lightly clenched, the Cetra was obviously resisting the urge to check to see if the aforementioned Materia was still safely hidden. Aerith raised her eyebrows with surprise at Katlyn's knowledge.

Ignoring Aerith's reaction, Katlyn continued, "Then finally I'll teach you the offensive abilities of the Cetra that have unfortunately been lost due to the passage of time."

"Wait… I thought the Cetras believed in peace and working in harmony with Gaia," mentioned Aerith confusedly.

"Well, how else do you think that your ancestors managed to fight and eventually seal Jenova?"

Aerith nodded, conceding that Katlyn had a point there. "But… why now? Why not earlier, when my mother was still alive?"

Silence reigned supreme for several moments as Katlyn debated how to answer her. Finally, she said slowly, "The only answer I can give you right now is that this was pretty much the earliest I could arrive on Gaia thanks to my… unique circumstances. And please, don't ask about those circumstances, for the time has not yet come to explain them."

The young Cetra stared into Katlyn's eyes for several long moments. "Alright. I'll trust you."

"Thank you," Katlyn responded sincerely. "Now… would it be alright if I crashed with you until I can get a place of my own?"

"I dunno," came Aerith's response. "You'll have to go through my step-mother first."

* * *

><p>"So… you claim that Aerith is going to be needed for future events that as of right now you are unwilling to discuss, and so you have come to give her some of this 'training' that she'll need," began Elmyra Gainsborough.<p>

"Yes, ma'am," Katlyn replied, confidence filling her voice despite the rather distinct feeling that she was being interrogated by a school teacher welling up inside of her.

"Not only that, you're asking me if you can stay here for an undetermined amount of time until you can 'find a place of your own'?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The woman who had taken care of the last Cetra and kept her safe for the majority of her life looked at the Champion with skeptical green eyes. As the three women sitting around the small round kitchen table simultaneously took a sip of their tea, Katlyn suddenly felt nervous. _Would_ Elmyra allow her to stay? Or would she have to find someplace else, and risk capture by Shinra?

Finally, Elmyra said slowly, "I might be amiable to you staying here, if you could provide proof of your claim that you are this so-called 'Champion of the Goddess', Ms. Lune."

"Certainly," replied Katlyn. "Thankfully, I took the liberty of Scanning your home for cameras and other recording devices when I first walked in."

"Wait, you can use Scan materia for those?" inquired Aerith excitedly.

Frowning, Elmyra added, "And why would you think there would be cameras in my home?"

Giggling a little bit, Katlyn answered, "Yes, you can use Scan materia to search for specific items as long as you have the control necessary, and I am well aware that the Turks have realized just who Aerith is and that they have vowed to protect her for as long as they can. Thus, knowing them, I figured it would make sense for cameras and other recording devices to be planted in the place she calls home so that they can be aware of who would be entering her home and why. I did find one camera and one microphone, however a low-powered Thunder took care of them in a way that the Turks won't be suspicious about it."

Elmyra's eyes narrowed slightly in anger at the revelation that indeed her home's privacy had been compromised, however it was Katlyn's assurance that the ones who had done the compromising had done so with good intentions in mind that obviously kept her from saying anything about it. "So… your proof?"

Saying nothing, Katlyn immediately focused her mind to activate the first stage of her Champion mode. The two Gainsboroughs' eyes opened wide as the shine from the golden armor suffused itself throughout her entire being. Remembering the first time she saw herself clad fully in her armor back in the Goddess' home, Katlyn smiled a tiny wistful smile. Never before that moment had she felt so… beautifully powerful, and confident in who she was.

"That's… some proof," Elmyra finally choked out. As Katlyn allowed her Champion mode to fall away, the elder Gainsborough added, "Welcome to our home."

A big smile filling her face, Katlyn responded, "Thank you, Ms. Gainsborough, for allowing me to stay. Now… what else would you like to know?"

* * *

><p>AN: FINALLY got this chapter done in between helping taking care of my baby niece and catching up on some much needed sleep. Soon, the fun parts shall begin! And to all of those who were caught in Sandy's path, my thoughts and prayers are with you, and I hope all of you are safe.


	13. Chapter 11

*I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of their characters. I also don't own 'The Steward of Gondor' from the Return of the King OST.

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><p>Aerith awoke to the smell of breakfast being cooked. Stumbling through her morning routine, the last Cetra moved robotically until she finally managed to wake herself up enough to greet the rest of the world.<p>

Her first surprise of the day as she left her bedroom, however, was to see her step-mother coming out of her own room. Elmyra, too, seemed to be surprised to see Aerith. For a minute, the two Gainsborough women stared at each other with questioning looks, confused as to who would be cooking the morning meal.

Suddenly, the young Cetra remembered the strange woman from yesterday- Grace Lunaria, also known as Katlyn Lune. Quickly walking towards the kitchen with Elmyra close behind, the two paused when they suddenly heard music. It was very dramatic-sounding, uplifting yet with a sad tone. As suddenly the music quieted, Aerith and her step-mother peeked into the kitchen.

"_Home is behind, the world ahead/ And there are many paths to tread_," Katlyn sang alongside a male voice as she scooped scrambled eggs onto three plates, wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday. "_Through shadow, to the edge of night/ Until the stars are all alight_."

Curiously, Aerith glanced around the kitchen trying to find the source of the strange music. The only thing that could qualify was a strange rectangular thing that was all lit up, its tiny screen displaying something that unfortunately she couldn't tell from this distance.

"_Mist and shadow, cloud and shade/ All shall fade, all shall… fade_," Katlyn finished softly. As the music played its final soft notes, she looked up from where she had been plating the bacon. "Oh, hi! I woke up early and thought I'd make breakfast this morning," she chirped in greeting upon noticing the other two. Placing the pan that had once held the bacon into the sink, Katlyn walked back over to the strange rectangular thing and seemingly pressed a button on one of its sides. Sure enough, the music (which had changed into something that was more upbeat and bouncy) shut off, and Katlyn promptly stuck the device into one of her pants pockets.

"You have a beautiful voice," Aerith couldn't help but comment as she sat down in her usual seat.

"Indeed," agreed her step-mother as she, too, sat in her usual spot, "it's been a while since I've heard a quality voice like yours."

As her cheeks lightly tinged with pink, Katlyn replied, "Thank you. While you're not the first to have said so, it's still nice to hear." Quickly grabbing the last of the toast that suddenly popped out of the toaster, Katlyn cut each slice in half and placed them onto one of the plates. Seemingly pleased, she finally brought the finished plates over to the table and placed one in front of the two seated women.

"I have to ask, though… what is that device that was playing the music?" Elmyra inquired. Aerith, curious about that herself, turned towards her future teacher.

Sitting down with her own plate in front of her, Katlyn paused, as if considering how best to answer the question posed. "A gift, and nothing more," she finally answered. "And don't ask who it's from, for I won't answer that quite yet."

Aerith debated on whether to respond to that, however the expression on Katlyn's face as she began to eat discouraged her. Instead, she asked, "What was that song, then?"

Chewing on a piece of bacon, the brown-eyed girl had a look of fond remembrance filling her face. Swallowing, Katlyn answered, "It's known by several names amongst its fans, however the official name is 'The Steward of Gondor'. I'm rather fond of the song, truth be told."

"Gondor? What kind of a name is _that_?" came Elmyra's rhetorical question.

That didn't stop Katlyn, however, from rebutting good-naturedly, "What kind of a name is Midgar?"

Aerith giggled. She knew that this was only the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

><p>After they had eaten, the two Gainsborough refused to allow Katlyn to help clean up, stating that since she cooked they had to clean. While she gave a token protest, Katlyn was still happy simply because it gave her an opportunity to observe just how to work various items and compare them to what she had once known. Once they had finished, they sat back down at the table.<p>

Predictably, it was Elmyra who asked the inevitable question. "So, Miss Lune, what are your plans? How are you going to accomplish everything you need to do?"

As Aerith glanced up from the PHS that had just delivered some mail to her, Katlyn leaned back in her chair as she contemplated Elmyra's question. "I'm not sure, Ms. Gainsborough," she answered slowly. "I mean, I know I have to gain _some_ level of influence to even begin to interact with the ones in Shinra that I need to, and I would prefer that I don't have to join the company if I don't have to. However, other than that I have no idea. I am open to suggestions, however."

There was silence for several minutes. Then… "Would becoming the lead singer for a popular band work?"

Snapping her head towards the Cetra, Katlyn sputtered, "What?"

"Well, The Gift just recently lost their lead singer and head of security to a monster attack, and they just announced to their fan club that they'll be holding auditions to replace them," explained Aerith, holding up her PHS.

"The Gift?"

"You know, the band that played at the infamous Ball, thus making them one of the most famous bands in the world?" Cocking her head in inquiry, Katlyn raised her eyebrows for Aerith to elaborate.

Elmyra, however, took over as she added, "She's talking about the Ball that all of the fangirls of the top three SOLDIERs are obsessing over due to that dance that the General shared with some girl that nobody had seen before or seen since."

Katlyn was stunned to hear this. The Silver Elite, Keepers of Honor, and Red Leather… were obsessing about the dance she shared with Sephiroth? She couldn't stop the surprised laughter from bursting out even if she wanted to.

"What are you laughing about?" inquired Aerith.

It was through sheer force of will that Katlyn stopped her laughter enough to respond, "Do you know the name of the girl that Sephiroth danced with?"

"Well, according to some of my friends down here, supposedly her name is Kat—" Aerith shut up as the implications set in. "That was _you_?!"

Snickering at her expression, Katlyn nodded. "Sephiroth _is_ quite the dancer," she admitted shamelessly. "So, what's everyone saying about me?"

"From what I've heard, they've been searching for more information about you and that's it," came Elmyra's reply. As the two younger women looked at her, she responded, "What? One of the cashiers at the local grocery store is a member of Silver Elite and loves to blab on and on about the General."

"Well, that's not going to happen. If these fangirls are anything like the fangirls I knew of back home, letting them know who I am is the _last_ thing I want to do," Katlyn snorted. "In fact, that's part of the reason why most of the time I'll be going by Grace Lunaria."

"What's the other part?"

"I escaped from Hojo's lab rather spectacularly."

"Ah… that makes perfect sense," Elmyra nodded.

"Anyway, back the original topic. So this band is looking for a new lead singer? Can you tell me more about them?" inquired Katlyn.

"Well, I first became a fan back when I received their second album as a gift," began Aerith, "They play pretty much any type of music, and the band is currently the reigning champion of the Battle of the Bands. In fact, that's how they ended up playing at the Ball you and Sephiroth danced at."

"Hmm… who're the members?"

"Well, the lead singer was called Michael Lee, and his younger sister Heavyn plays any string instrument they might need, although her favorite is the violin. Until she announced the auditions, I actually thought that she'd quit thanks to the monster attack but it seems Heavyn's determined to continue on.

"The lead guitarist is known as Riku Willeth, and together he along with the Lee siblings created The Gift. He and Michael used to trade off when it comes to writing original songs, however he's probably going to do all the work now. In addition, he was the one who began the tradition of The Gift singing Wutaian songs in honor of his mother, who was Wutaian herself. While he mostly plays the electric guitar, I personally think his talent truly shines when he plays the acoustic guitar. There are rumors that he and Heavyn are in a relationship, however I'm not sure just how true they are. They are certainly good friends, however.

"Tom—"

"Ah, wait, there's a member of the band named Tom?" Katlyn whined.

Looking towards her, Elmyra asked, "And what's wrong with that?"

"My ass of an ex who cheated on me with _his_ ex was called that. We… didn't have the best break-up," came the explanation, along with a wince.

The other two women winced in sympathy. Elmyra half-pled, "Please tell me he got what he deserved in the end…"

"Um… maybe? I'm actually not sure what happened to him," mused Katlyn aloud.

"Will he ever come around here?" Aerith asked with a hint of worry. From the look on her face, she _definitely_ didn't want someone like him around the local children…

"Definitely not," came the reassuring answer.

"Oh, good. Last thing we need in this neighborhood is another potential recruit to Corneo's goons."

Katlyn stared at the Cetra with shock. "You mean _all_ of Corneo's goons treat women badly? I would've thought some of them would treat them at least halfway decent thanks to the Honeybee Inn…"

"Yeah, well, it doesn't work out that way," frowned Aerith as her face took on an obvious tone of remembrance. Katlyn frowned herself as she considered how this seemingly unimportant information would work in her overall plans. After all, she knew that President Shinra himself was a patron of the Inn, and if he was known to treat women badly…

Shaking her head minutely, she put the information to the back of her mind. "Anyway, you were mentioning a member named Tom?"

Recognizing what Katlyn was trying to do, Aerith continued with a grateful, "Yes, Tom Suliman is the drummer. By himself, he's not the best drummer, yet somehow when he's with the rest of the band he becomes a genius at his chosen instrument. Even he is confused by this phenomenon. Luckily for you, he is known to be a very nice guy.

"David Granger is the keyboard guy, and the most mysterious member of The Gift. He takes extreme measures to stay out of the spotlight, which has fans constantly guessing as to why. Personally, I say he just doesn't want fangirls constantly hounding him about his admittedly good looks."

_Either that, or he's gay and doesn't want everyone to know_, Katlyn thought to herself with a bit of amusement.

"Finally, there's the newest member Ken Lossinger. He's the bassist, and a known bad boy. Beyond that, though, something tells me that if there was ever someone who would cause trouble for you, it's him."

_Oho, what's this?_ "You _really_ don't like Ken, do you?" Katlyn teased.

Scowling slightly, Aerith replied, "Something about him just… doesn't sit right with me. While I can honestly say that I don't know him at all, every time I see his face something in me just _screams_ to stay away from him, that he's dangerous."

Eyebrows raised, Katlyn sat back in the chair. This was quite the interesting development… "Tell me… would you say your reaction to Ken is similar to the one that you get whenever Sephiroth is mentioned?"

Elmyra looked at her adoptive daughter with interest as the Cetra tilted her head in thought. Finally, Aerith answered, "It's similar, but not as strong. If I was to best describe it, the reaction I get from Ken Lossinger is like a soft whisper while the reaction I get from the General is like an extremely loud shout."

"Hmm… sounds like it's only some people, rather than the Planet, who are warning you away from him then," Katlyn guessed aloud. "Perhaps some exes, or something. We're going to have to work on it so that in the future you can be able to tell the difference on your own."

"So you _are_ serious about training Aerith, then," remarked Elmyra.

Nodding, Katlyn replied, "Of course I am. With the battles that are sure to be ahead, Lady Minerva definitely does _not_ want the Planet's chosen race to die, and only Aerith can ensure that they don't. That's why I was given many of the same powers as the Cetra, although it takes more effort for me to use them than it would for Aerith."

"Why would it take more effort?"

"Another day, Aerith," Katlyn responded absently as she mulled over Aerith's idea. Yes, Oprah, Bono, Diddy, and many other celebrities had managed to pull off being political in addition to their normal duties… but could she?

Well, there was only one way to find out. Gail _had_ always said she had the skills to become famous… so why not prove her right? However, she did have _one_ small problem that, if left unresolved, could screw things up big time.

"Your band idea sounds like it could be a good one, Aerith. But before we get ahead of ourselves, there's something I gotta do," she said.

"What's that?"

A sheepish smile filled her face as Katlyn replied, "I'm going to need to do some shopping. I need some more clothes besides what I have on, and since I'm chubbier than both of you…"

"Oh, right… I kinda forgot about that. Good thing I have some gil saved up that you can borrow," came the Cetra's equally sheepish comment.

"I better come with you two," Elmyra added. "After all, you're going to need some ID to look less suspicious, and luckily for you I still remember how from when I had to get Aerith's ID."

A big grin filled her face as Katlyn announced, "You know what this means, right?" When the two Gainsborough women looked at her with inquiry, she crowed, "Girls day out!"

The small kitchen filled with laughter.

* * *

><p>Sephiroth sat in his office alone as he contemplated this sudden turn of events. Katlyn, having performed the rather spectacular escape that she did, was now wanted by Shinra. Luckily, the announcement mentioned that she was to be preferably brought in alive… but it didn't say that under no circumstances was she to be killed.<p>

Which meant that once again, Hojo had manipulated the President in order to obtain what he probably thought was his 'lost specimen'.

The General wasn't surprised. After all, he better than anyone knew that Hojo saw people only as future specimens, and the fact that Katlyn had powers that she hadn't revealed before that moment meant that the bastard was probably after her for her cells. After all, one of Hojo's _favorite_ activities was to inject his prized specimen with random things just to see how they'd react… someone else's cells would actually be tame in comparison.

However… the order left him with a problem he hadn't really ever dealt with before- a conflict of interest.

From their brief interactions, Sephiroth could honestly say that he liked the strange woman, and could see her joining his exclusive circle of friends. In addition, he was pretty sure that Katlyn liked him, too. However, he _was_ the General of Shinra's troops, duty bound to obey all of the President's orders.

Which lead to his current predicament: who should he be more loyal to, his friend or his President?

If Angeal's Pup (or any of his subordinates save Angeal or Genesis, for that matter…) walked in at that moment, they would keel over with shock at the sight of the Silver Elite slumping over the desk with his head resting on his arms emitting a short confused groan.

As it was, the person who strode through the door at that particular second was Genesis.

"Now this is something you don't see every day," he commented as he carried a styrofoam cup of what smelled like hot dumbapple cider in one hand and the other in one of his coat pockets. "What's got you actually showing emotion for anyone to see?"

Looking up and seeing his friend suddenly made Sephiroth remember something important- he didn't have to make his decision alone. Genesis would always point out the folly in any of his General's plans (it was actually one of the reasons Sephiroth trusted him so much) and Angeal always would help with explaining why something was or wasn't okay.

"Genesis, is the VR room free?"

Blinking a bit, Genesis soon replied, "If it isn't I can probably scare whoever's in there out. Want me to grab Angeal, too?"

"Please," Sephiroth answered, standing up and leaving from behind his desk. "I need to speak with the both of you, and I'd rather keep it as private as I can."

"What about?" Genesis asked as he moved away from the door.

Giving a sidelong glance, Sephiroth only responded with one word, "_Her._"

"Ahh… I'll make sure that the cameras are out then, too."

* * *

><p>As the train pulled in, the young Nibelheim native boy took a deep bracing breath. This was it… in just a few minutes, he would be beginning his journey of becoming a SOLDIER.<p>

When the door opened, Cloud Strife was the first to exit. Hefting the bag that contained all the possessions he had dared to take, the blonde stared around with amazement. Pausing for a brief moment to give a hole in the wall a confused look, he shook his head and took his first steps towards his destiny.

He knew that from this moment on, there was no going back. Not if he could help it.

* * *

><p>AN: Yes, yes, it's an actual update! And I just realized that throughout this entire fic I have Genesis only quoting LOVELESS like, once or twice. I **did **search for an appropriate quote for him to use in his conversation with Sephy... but none really seemed to fit. Don't worry, though, he'll quote it in the upcoming conversation! Oh, and YAY, Cloud's finally arrived! Also, the song that came on after 'The Steward of Gondor'? I totally thought of Zack's theme song from Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. I simply could NOT resist that one...


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